In a remarkable medical event at Addis Ababa's Zewditu Memorial Hospital, a mother has given birth to a 6-kilogram baby via cesarean section, media reported on Friday.
Dr. Retta Tezazu, head of the hospital’s maternal and neonatal care unit, shared with the media that the mother, who is in her 30s, was managing gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. This condition, characterized by elevated blood sugar levels during pregnancy, can result in unusually large babies, a phenomenon known as macrosomia.
Given the baby’s size, a natural delivery was ruled out, and a cesarean section was scheduled to ensure the safety of both the mother and child.
The newborn, while in stable condition, is currently receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit to monitor for potential complications such as low blood sugar and breathing difficulties. The mother is also in good health and continues to receive monitoring for her diabetes, reports said.
Globally, babies weighing over 4.5 kilograms are considered large, making this 6-kilogram delivery a rare medical case. In Ethiopia, where nutritional challenges often limit fetal growth, this birth is even more extraordinary.