Bnei Tzion Hospital in Haifa delivered the heaviest baby in its records this week. The baby boy weighed in at 5.91 kg., or 13 lb.
Army Radio reported that the mother is a resident of Israel's north. She underwent medical tests after she was admitted to the hospital, and these found that she had gestational diabetes and that she had not been under full medical supervision during her pregnancy.
The ultrasound check found that the baby's weight was exceptional and it was decided to carry out a C-section. The baby emerged at a weight that other babies do not usually attain until they are near six months old.
The baby underwent a comprehensive set of tests and was under supervision in the hospital's newborn ward for several days before being released in good condition along with his mother.
Prof. Arnon Wiznitzer, Director of Beilinson Hospital's Women's Hospital, told Army Radio that babies born at over 4 kilos "do not have such a bright future because they are prone to obesity in childhood and are at a high risk of developing adult diabetes."
The mother told the staff that while she felt "more cumbersome" in this pregnancy than in her previous one, she had no idea that she was carrying such a heavy baby.