May 19, 2006
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Netherlands:
I am a father of a two month old son. My son is already 13 pounds. When he was born, he weighed 7.5 pounds. He always wants to eat and cries a lot. My father has had diabetes since he was two months old. My wife and I are both not heavyweight. I weigh 130 pounds and my wife weighs 115 pounds. Could our son’s excess weight have something to do with diabetes?
Answer:
It is unlikely the increased weight is related to his having diabetes but extra weight is a risk factor for developing diabetes in the future. You should discuss this with your child’s pediatrician and see if there is something that you are doing that contributes to excess weight gain (often extra juice, for example). Some breast fed babies just are chunky for a while until they gain more mobility and slim down naturally. This is not so much of a problem as when a baby is overfed on milk formulas or juices.
SB
