What will the future hold for my premature baby?
All babies hit developmental
milestones at different times, but your premature baby may reach these
milestones a little later and he might be smaller than babies of the same age
who weren’t preemies.
When it comes to weight, or developmental stages, your
premature baby will be calculated from his estimated due date rather than the
date he was actually born. In terms of behavior and learning, there should be
no difference in a premature baby to a full-term baby.
By the time your child is two
years old, he’ll have caught up both in his mental and physical development
with other children who were born full-term. What age your child first giggled,
cut his first tooth, sat, crawled or walked will have no bearing on his
intelligence and once he starts school, it will make absolutely no difference
that he was a late walker or he didn't cut his first tooth until after his
first birthday.
Most parents compare their
kids to other children as they grow up, probably from a fear that they might
not be parenting them properly (admit it, we all have that fear!). Parents of
preemies tend to compare even more because they’re anxious their child might
have fallen behind in his development. Don't panic though – your baby probably
had a tougher start than most so expect important early milestones to be
achieved a little later than normal.
The information in this feature is intended for
educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the
health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a
doctor or other healthcare professional.