An Indonesian woman has given birth to an 8.7 kilogram (19.2 pound) baby boy - the heaviest newborn ever recorded in the country.

The baby, who is still unnamed and is 62 centimetres long, was born by caesarean section Monday (local time) at a public hospital in North Sumatra province, a gynaecologist who took part in the operation said on Wednesday.

"This heavy baby made the surgery really tough, especially the process of taking him out of his mum's womb," Binsar Sitanggang said.

"His legs were so big."

The boy is in a healthy condition despite having to initially be given oxygen to overcome breathing problems, the gynaecologist said.

"He's got strong appetite, every minute, it's almost non-stop feeding," he said.

"This baby boy is extraordinary, the way he's crying is not like a usual baby. It's really loud."

The boy's massive size was likely the result of his mother, Ani, 41, having diabetes, Mr Sitanggang said.

She had to be rushed to hospital due to complications with the pregnancy, which had reached nine months.

The baby, her fourth, was the only child not delivered by a traditional midwife.

Indonesia's previous heaviest baby, weighing in at 6.9 kilos, was born in 2007 on the outskirts of the capital Jakarta, according to the Indonesian Museum of Records website.

- AFP