In general, small babies and very large babies are at greater risk for problems. Babies are weighed daily in the nursery to assess growth, fluid, and nutrition needs. Newborn babies may lose as much as 10 percent of their birthweight. This means that a baby weighing 7 pounds 3 ounces at birth might lose as much as 10 ounces in the first few days. Premature and sick babies may not begin to gain weight right away.
Most hospitals use the metric system for weighing babies.
This chart will help you convert grams to pounds. Each body system is carefully examined for signs of health and normal function. The physician also looks for any signs of illness or birth defects. Assessing a baby's physical maturity is an important part of care. Maturity assessment is helpful in meeting a baby's needs if the dates of a pregnancy are uncertain.