aetiology

Last reviewed 01/2018

Babies who are large for dates may be the result of:

  • inaccurate dating of last menstrual period
  • maternal diabetes - up to 80% of established cases
  • familial - i.e. everyone in the family is large
  • chromosomal defects
  • hydrops fetalis
  • Beckwith Wiedemann syndrome
  • Sotos' syndrome

Post-mature foetuses are not usually unduly large because placental insufficiency slows the rate of growth.