will my premmie always be behind with development?

Christina - posted on 07/19/2012

I have 14 month old twins in which they were preemies. Peditrician says they should be caught up by age of 2. Baby girl is doing fine, and the boy is just a little behind (but that is typical with boys). I am not worried anymore especially since the pedi told us that. I feel very confident that they will outgrow the prematurity and be caught up soon! :) Hope this helps!

Nancy - posted on 07/17/2012

My son was born at 30 wks, 3llbs 11oz, 17 inches, was in the NICU for 5 weeks. His only health problem was RAD. We were ordered to keep him away from the public for almost a year due to the prolonged cold and flu season; he was susceptible to respiratory infections and needed daily therapy and rescue inhalers when sick. We moved to a different state 10 months, ago, which is much dryer. He has not needed any medication for 10 months.

He is an extremely active boy that never stops moving and weighs 27.6 pounds. I've had other people comment on how "small" he is, but as long as your doctor is not concerned and your child is following his growth charts there is nothing to be concerned about.

I am amazed with his developmental milestones. He knows every letter, shape, color, an extensive vocabulary close to 400 words, can count by two's and tens to 100. I could go on and on. Point being every premature child will have their own growth and developmental issues. If your child is healthy, happy and your doctors or specialists don't have any serious concers, neither should you!

Sam - posted on 07/11/2012

No,not at all depending on how early your child was and whether they had developmental problems throughout the birth will depend on the level of development they willl achieve and the fact that every child is diferent, they learn at their own pace and in their own way. my preemie is now 4 and at a level of a 7 year old for maths and literacy but she had no problems at birth apart from being small. Its all down to the child and how they like to be interacted with, my lo loved and still does love to be sang to and she learnt a lot of things that way, we used to turn everyday things into a song!! Dont worry if your child is 'behind' and i say behind loosely because each child is different, there is no set way/time that they should learn things, hope it helps xx

Caroline - posted on 07/04/2012

My daughter was born 9 weeks premmie, weighed 3 pounds & 11 ounces, she had many challenges. She was not able to walk un-assisted, she needed support to sit up, drooled constantly, developmentally delayed, frequent body tremors, some seizure like episodes, kind of in a daze all the time, clenched left hand, choking on her food, speach problems, left side weakness etc. She was elevated on her toes when holding her to walk, she was splinted for a leg brace & they wanted to give her botox, but after researching botox and discovering how it’s made and there were no long term studies I decided against it. Her life was restricted & so was mine ...and it looked this way for the rest of her life ... & mine. I felt hopeless.

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Megan - posted on 12/19/2011

Good Day , My daughter Amy was born at 27 week , it was touch and go with her for about 2 months as she was born with sepsis of the blood.She is very clever and read fluently at the age of 3 (perhaps of all the steroids?) and we were so proud that we never realised smaller behaviour and development mile stones not being achieved , things to look out for is the way they crawl,how they hold objects and emotionally react from a young age and their ability to have use of there fine motor skills all these problems can be corrected at a very young age by a occupational therapist. My personal experence is they are very very clever but need help to get on par with physical and emotional development and it has nothing to do with length and weight.My problem I have is my daughter always seemed to have no respect for herself or for anyone around her, I don't know if it is imprinted in her because of her circumstance of birth (it looked very painful) , she constantly angry , withdrawn and the Dr has diagnosed her with borderline personality disorder , she only weighed 700gram at birth and after 13 years she still hates people touching her, Sad for us but I think it is more difficult for her , she is 13 now and I still battle for her to remember small tasks like brushing her teeth and washing her face, all in all ,they need a lot of love , even if the don't want it most of the time . Yet she is top in her class at school.This is my personal experience and all chidren are different .

Rachel - posted on 12/06/2011

as long as your baby is hitting its milestones at what his gestation age will be hes is very healthy and will eventually grow into his development. my son just turned 3 and he was 30 weeks. they did the bailey testing on him last year at the 2 year gestation age when they should be "caught up" he did score advanced for his size. It all depends on how much you work with your baby and at their pace.

Skyler - posted on 11/23/2011

my son was 2 months premature and i can honestly say he is one of the smarted 32 month olds i have ever seen (not just saying it because hes mine) but he is doing things 3-3 1/2 yr olds do; i thought my son would be behind also but hes NO WHERE near being behind; i just work with him, my family works with him and he picks things up from tv; so i wouldnt worry about it he will catch up if he hasnt already

Annette - posted on 10/13/2011

Every preemie is different and grows at their own pace, keep up with your doctors and educate yourself on what to look for

Debbie - posted on 10/03/2011

my daughter was born at 26 weeks, weighed 2lbs 3ozs. 14inches long. She spent 2 months in Nicu an come home on 2 monitors for an additional 8 weeks an she took a rsv shot for the 1st year. She is now 5 she is smaller than the other kids in her class a teacher there actually said to me are you sure she is 5 I said well yeah I know when I had my daughter I believe I was there when they pulled her out of me. She is very intelligent sweet kind a caring lil girl. She may be smaller than the rest but she is just as smart if not smarter than some of them. Her teacher is very great with her an watches out for her cause she is so small an I am thankful for this.

Skyler - posted on 10/03/2011

my son was 10 weeks early; weighed 4lbs 5oz. i was worried at first he would be behind but hes 2.5 years old now and is talking like a 3 year old; having some issues potty training still but other then that hes really tall for his age and extremely smart; i wouldnt worry to much .

Emma - posted on 06/29/2010

my daughter was born 7 week eairly n she behind in thing she dnt sit up by self propley she tryes to crawl but not crawling yet she only says dad or di she has no teeth yet n she is 8 months old

Armanda - posted on 06/29/2010

No, my daughter is 3 1/2 and she is advanced for her age. She was born 13 weeks early. The more you work with your child, the better.

Joy - posted on 06/29/2010

my son is 2 and a half and I have a nephew who is 11 days younger than my boy who did EVERYTHING before my preemee did. but my boy is catching up though

Tachanie - posted on 06/22/2010

my daughter was behind untill she was 2 years old, knoe shes 4 yrs old and doin every and everything she can get her hands on ..

Kristie - posted on 06/20/2010

I have a daughter that was born at 3lbs 7oz. She is now six and still only weighs 25 lbs. They say that they will catch up....but no one ever really knows what will happen....I wish you the best of luck!

Michelle - posted on 06/19/2010

My son was born at 28wks weighing in at 2lb 15oz. He didn't walk until 13 or 14 mos, and he was much smaller than other kids his age until he was about 6. He has since caught up! He is now 14 and is about 5"7 and he continues to grow. I would not worry about it and certainly don't compare your child to another. Just continue to love her and everything will work out!

Calista - posted on 06/18/2010

No, I dont believe preemies will always be delayed. However, I do believe that it may take them a little longer to catch up to their agae group. My daughter was born @ 25 weeks and is now 2 years old. She has reached certain milestones a little slower than expected but she has caught on well. Plus, my husband and I are actively seeking programs and assesments to place our daughter in and challenge her developmentally and physically. We have come to the understanding that this will be a life time commitment to not settle for what society has placed on what preemies will and won't do.

Jecinter - posted on 06/17/2010

Hi Megan, my doc says by age 2 they should have caught up fairly well. Mine was a 27 wk baby. She is behind in most developements but catching up well. Also for milestones always adjust the age of your child back to the EDD you will find compared to the EDD milestones, they are not doing too badly. Plus each child is unique and different andyou cannot compare with other children otherwise it ends up frustrating or scaring you as the mummy.

Shaniqua - posted on 06/15/2010

hell no preemies actually get bigger faster than babies born on time exspecially if breastfeed

Kim - posted on 06/14/2010

My b/g twins were 26 wks, stayed in the NICU for 4 months & 5 months. My daughter came home with oxygen for 6 more months. They are now 19 months. My son seems to be about a month and a half developmentally ahead of his sister, he's been walking for months and she has just started walking on her own. Although neither one is really saying more than mama and dada at this point. I was planning to call Early Intervention, after reading all the posts I will call tomorrow to get them started..... Every baby is different, my twins are 4 pounds and 2 inches apart!

Jill - posted on 06/14/2010

NO! My boys were 6 weeks early, and very sickly there first year of life. They are now 6 and very well adjusted and very normal! Can't tell they were a day early, let alone 6 weeks.

Rebekah - posted on 06/14/2010

My son was born 9 weeks early weighing 3lbs. 7 oz. He is two now and is in physical therapy twice a week for right side dominance issues and speech therapy for mouth muscle development. He does not appear to be slowed down in any way becuase of this though! His neurologist wants to have an MRI, but I am paranoid about having him sedated. Mom guilt!

Claudia - posted on 06/14/2010

Kyndal was born at 24 weeks! She was 1lb,8oz. They told us how she would be delayed and every other thing that a parent does NOT want to hear about their newborn. All I can say is prayer works!! God is faithful when we put our trust in Him and not the doctors! As I told my husband when they explained all the negative things Kyndal would encounter as a extremely premature baby, "it's their job to tell you all of the things that could be wrong with your baby, but we DO NOT RECEIVE THEM!!" God is able, so begin to speak over your child in Jesus' name! It's what I did and I am here to tell you that Kyndal has NEVER spent another night in the hospital since she left the NICU. We were told she would be in NICU for 3 months and she left in 2 months. She is one of the smartest in her preschool and we owe all the glory to GOD! I know its scary, but don't allow your fear to outweigh your faith! Kyndal is 4 years old and whenever I tell anyone how premature she was they can't believe it! All thanks be to God for Kyndal's life and your baby's life. Be Blessed!

Diane - posted on 06/13/2010

hi Megan, my son was 5wks early and his lungs had not developed properly, so he had to be in special nursery for a wk. hejust turned 8mths, and is crawling around slowly, was rolling around at 4mths, is now trying to hold on n stand up and is a screamer. he is now trying the dada calling. don't worry too much cause each child is different.

M - posted on 06/13/2010

Most preemies are caught up by age 3. Both of my kids were preemies. My daughter is almost 3 and she is all caught up and has been for a while. She is thin, but it isn't because she was a preemie. My son is 23 weeks, but his height and weight say differently! He is hitting his milestones like he should at his actual age.

Lyneeda - posted on 06/13/2010

my doctors said until they are two but every baby grows differently .

FABIANNE - posted on 06/13/2010

My daughter was born at 36 weeks but was diagnosed with something else as well. However there are early intervention classes that do make a difference in a childs life. It goes by income and I strongly recommend this to anyone who feels their child is delayed. She is now 2.5 and just started walking however she does not talk yet but sure enough makes an effort. Any questions on how to go about getting in contact with early intervention, please email me.

Catherine - posted on 06/13/2010

my daughter was born at 32wks she will be 5 in august, she started school last september an is doing gr8 she has perfect speach and very bright even in creche she did gr8 i really do think it depends on the child to be honest

Janet - posted on 06/13/2010

No! My son was 7 wk early & at 4.5 you could never tell now.

Kris - posted on 06/13/2010

It really depends on your baby, to be honest with you. I have triplets who were born @ 26wks. They all weighed right around 1lb and half each. They will be a yr gestational on the 29th of this month, but they are actually almost 15months on the 24th of this month. My oldest DD is developing for the most past right where she should be if she has been a ful-term baby. My son who had alot of problems at birth and has had problems gaining weight and now has a G-tube has been behind the girls but is quickly catching up with them. He is now pulling himself up to stand and crawls almost as fast as my oldest DD. Now my other little girl she started crawling right around the time she was gestationally 8months old and just started to sit up on her own w/in the past 3wks. (same with my DS). Our physically therapest said that for the first couple yrs they might be behind with mildstones, but it depends on the baby and how early your baby was and what kind of complacations s/he had. We were also told that for the most part that they should be or close to being caught up with all the mildstones by the age of 2yrs. Also depending on what was wrong at birth and if how early they are they might be slower at learning things when it comes to school. But nothing major. Just meaning they might be slower when it comes to picking up on reading and doing math, but nothing that cause concern. If you havent already I would highly recoment that you find and make an appt with a physically therapest. They are awsome and they will be able to answer any and every question you will have, and they will also be able to help you learn diffrent things on how to help your child to build strength.

I wish you the best of luck and I know its easier said then done, but dont stress out about it to much. It will all work out in the end.

Kristina - posted on 06/12/2010

My guy was 10 weeks early. I never really worry about his development, he seems on track for his corrected age. My understanding is that when babies stop meeting development milestones every few weeks or months (around age 2) they will be caught up.

Libby - posted on 06/12/2010

Prematurity doesn't necessarily guarantee that they will always be behind. It certainly depends on the baby's heath, but my twins were born at 28 weeks and they seemed to be mostly caught up by 1 year and definitely by 18 months. They're 2 1/2 now and no one would ever guess they were preemies. It is miraculous what science is able to do for these babies!

Alva - posted on 06/12/2010

Erica was born at 32 weeks weighing 1.9 lbs. She graduated kindy with her class in June and starts 1st in August. No delays with her. She's one smart girl and good looking too if I might add.

Lori - posted on 06/12/2010

There are a lot of factors that go into a baby's development. Our daughter was born at 29 weeks weighing 1 lb 12 ozs. She stayed in the hospital for 8 weeks weighing 4 lbs 1 oz when she came home. She had to have heart surgery when she was 2 yrs old. She never suffered from visible symptoms from her heart defects, so she didn't have any permanent problems. We thank God that she didn't have any permanent developmental issues either. Any early delays she had were most likely caused by us being overprotective. By the time she started kindergarten she was where she was supposed to be. At age 14, she is an honor student who loves to act in skits and plays. She's almost as tall as me (although Daddy and I aren't the tallest). Spend as much time as you can with your child so you'll know which traits are developmental and which are personality so you can help your child find his or her strengths.

Jennifer - posted on 06/12/2010

Stop comparing your preemie to full term babies...your baby is special and a miracle. Your baby has had to fight battles that full term babies (and their parents) can never imagine. Your baby will eventually do everything full term babies do, it just won't happen on the same schedule. My preemie (9wks early, weighing 1 lb,13 oz) just turned 6 and is doing great. She did everything later than full term babies but has almost completely caught up. Just enjoy your miracle baby and don't sweat the small things!

Jamie - posted on 06/12/2010

Our daughter was born at 28 weeks. She didn't walk until after she was a year old but her verbal skills were unmatched(sentences at 12months). She is now 11 the only thing that seems to linger with her is she catches everything and tires easier than her friends. She is exceptionally bright but her tendency to catch every virus or bug worries us. It seems that if she has had an overly active week you can almost be positive that she will be sick. This year she missed 18 days of school which actually is an improvement over her other school years! Our son was born at 33 weeks(thanks to prenatal meds-shots of steriods and horomones each weeks) he is now 4 and has really never had signs of delay from 6 months on. Every premmie is different and comparing them doesn't always work. But it's so hard not to when you just want normal development.

Tracy - posted on 06/12/2010

They should in theory be caught up anywhere from 2-5 years old depending on how severe their delays are. My son born 8 weeks early at 32 weeks only has a speech delay, but it's a pretty serious one. But he's imporoving thanks to speech therapy twice a week.

Paula - posted on 06/12/2010

My daughter Olivia was born 2 1/2 pounds at 27 weeks. She spent 4 months in the Neo-natal special care unit. She had cronic BPD, on all types of breathing machines, had 4 transfussions, and many other things. I am truly blessed to have her here. She is 14 now, and I always consider her my miracle baby. She was delayed six months with everything in school, however, early intervention and speech therapy helped her. She is legally blind in her right eye, and she is still hypertonic in her shoulders and arms, but other than that, she is 100%! She is an honor student, and she is a delight. She was six months behind up until about age six, and then she flourished. Good luck to you, and embrace the delight in your life.
Paula Perreault

Kristin - posted on 06/12/2010

NOT NECESSARILY-every child is different. My son was a month premature. He had to have a tube in his right ear @ 6 months, but no other health issues since.

Today, he's an active, witty 17 year old, 183 lbs. and 6'2" young man. His reading skills are off the chart in tests, he's very intelligent and plays football and basketball.

I wish you all the best!

Amanda - posted on 06/11/2010

thats kinda the way my lil cooper is he is extreamly smart and shy!!! he was born at 28 weeks

Robin - posted on 06/11/2010

You'll be surprised at what a preemie can accomplish through the growing and developing years. My boys were born at 31 weeks. We spent 1 month at the NICU, and although the first year was really tough.....they have done tremendously well. They seemed to be at the high end of the growth charts, but were a little slow with a few milestones. That's OK, and now they are going into kindergarten, and will turn 5 soon.

Kendra - posted on 06/11/2010

My twins were birn at 34 weeks due to poor blood flow from the cord to one baby etc etc. They never kept up with the "developmental milestones" and seemed to be way behind all my friends children. They acheived them in their own time. They have been at school for just over a year and are exceeding the "norm" academically for children thier age. Just turned six and bothe are reading at 8 year old level. They are a bit littler than the other children but that is to be expected. Premmies are said to take longer to develop control over thier emotions and self regulate. I would agree as my girls are very emotional and sometimes cannot calm themselves down. Whether that is a premmie thing or just a 'girl' thing, I dont know. Never despair, your baby will get to the milestones too. By the time school starts most preemies are developmentally equal with thier peers.

Karen - posted on 06/11/2010

When my son was born 19 yrs ago at 30 weeks, the drs told me by the time he was 4, he would have caught up in development. Premmies always catch up. I'm sure your child will do fine. There are many services out there like speech, occupational and physical theropy out there to help out.

Sarah - posted on 06/11/2010

my kids were just tested for vocabulary and at age 3 they have the vocabulary of 7 year olds. All children can be great in what they can do. I reccomend teaching them sign even if they can hear my little ones love signing time and there is a song on one of the vedios that will make you see things in a different light. It basiclly says what I have said here each child will do what they are capable of in their own time and they will shine

Sarah - posted on 06/11/2010

my twins were born at 31 weeks and while they lagged behind in physical development they excelled in mental development. I think all chlidren are different and some full term babies lag behind. I have been in childcare my whole career and I feel like from experience if a child is very physical they may lag behind on talking and vise versa. But as for preemins they are born fighters and they will all excell in their own time

Addie - posted on 06/11/2010

Your daughter is beautiful by the way...No. My son was born at 26 weeks 5 days. He was a big 3 lbs 7 oz when he was born. He was breastfeed and at 6 months he was no longer behind. By the time he was 18 months he was no longer behind developmentally. So, keep her on the floor, make her work those arms and legs and just enjoy every moment!

Chrystal - posted on 06/11/2010

i was told by age 3, but it varies. I work with children with special needs, some of who were born premature with complications, and their special needs vary. Some were "caught up" by age 3, and some still have issues. It really just depends. My own child was born at 27 weeks. She is now 18 months and is still not walking.

Caite - posted on 06/11/2010

Oh yes. We have already started E.I. and P.T.
My son weighed 1lb 5oz.
They are miracles. Strong and Determined.

Kathy - posted on 06/11/2010

Dont go by what you see other kids doing. It will only drive you crazy! My daughter was 8 weeks early and for awhile I was doing the same thing but you just have to realize they will get there in there own time!

Kelly - posted on 06/11/2010

like all have said, every baby is different- the worst thing you can do is compare, and i know because i am guilty of doing that myself!

my daughter was born at 24 weeks, 1 lb 7 oz- she is now 19 months and is still only babbling (mama, dada. baba. yaya etc) and is not walking yet (she can crawl, stand, cruise on the furniture). We just met with Early Intervention last Friday- they told us that she is a little weak on her right side hip area and because she is concentrating so hard on her walking, she has put her speech on the back burner. So we are now awaiting physical therapy once a week and speech therapy every other week to help her. It is completely free btw- just check your county's website for early intervention.