16-Pound Baby in Texas Born to Mom With Gestational Diabetes

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that joke has been bandied about more than a few times in the past week on news a giant 16-pound baby was born in the state.

Little- well, not so little- JaMichael Brown entered the world on July 8th, shattering hospital records with his arrival. Luckily for his mom Janet, the very bouncing baby boy was delivered via c-section. Brown’s obstetrician, Dr. John Kirk, says that a larger than normal baby was expected due to gestational diabetes, but the baby nicknamed “Moose” exceeded all estimates:

“He was much larger than expected,” said Kirk. “Both his mother and father are large people, and she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which contributed to the baby’s size.”

While it may seem that a bigger baby is healthy, a neonatology expert told press after JaMichael’s birth that that is not always the case:

“While infants of diabetic mothers are large in size, their organ function is not more developed,” Dr. Manuel Porto, a professor and chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at University of California at Irvine, told ABC News Good Morning America. “In fact, their lung development may be delayed. Early delivery can lead to respiratory problems for the newborn.”

JaMichael was released from the hospital Tuesday, and aside from some “minor” blood sugar issues, was reportedly doing well.