How many 'big babies' weighing 8lb 13oz or more are born in Lancaster?

Babies are considered unusually large if they weigh at least 8lb 13oz, or four kilograms – the equivalent of four bags of sugar. The medical term is foetal macrosomia.

Babies this size can lead to complications during labour, and mothers are more likely to need a caesarean section.

A range of factors can influence the likelihood of having an unusually large baby, including a mother’s weight and age, genetics, gestational diabetes, and a baby being overdue.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows one in 10 babies in England are unusually large.

Of 569,314 live births with weights recorded in 2020, 57,753 babies (10.1 per cent) tipped the scales at four kilograms or more, with 596 of those weighing in at an incredible five kilograms, or 11lb.

NHS Digital holds baby weight data for 283,600 births in England during 2021 (excluding May, for which data is missing) by council area.

The highest number came in Rugby, with a whopping 25.6 per cent of babies weighing in at four kilograms, while 2.3 per cent were five kilograms or more.

Here in Lancaster, of 1,175 babies born, 40 weighed 4kg or more - 12.9 per cent of the total. None weighed 5kg or more.

This ranked the city 126th for the number of bigger babies, and higher than the national average.

However, the birth weight was only known for 310 (26.4 per cent) of babies, so the data may not show the true picture.