What is the significance of macrosomia?

This commentary/review briefly considers the diverse criteria recommended for classification of overweight infants. Macrosomia continues to be a vexing problem for both obstetricians and pediatricians. Among the various techniques possible for use in assessing body composition, none are more practical than body weight relative to gestational age. The criteria for normative data from large populations are reviewed. The stringent definition, i.e., exceeding +2 SD of an appropriate normative population, is reaffirmed. Using these criteria, infants of diabetic mothers showed a significant relationship of body weight to fetal hyperinsulinemia.