A child born after fewer than 37 weeks of pregnancy is premature and requires care different from that of a full-term baby. For example, because premature babies grow at a faster rate than their full-term counterparts and their digestive systems are not fully developed at birth, they often have special nutritional needs. Some also require physical or speech therapy. Consider choosing a pediatrician who specializes or has experience in treating premature babies because your child needs careful monitoring into the early part of her school years.
Risks
If your baby was born prematurely, he will be more susceptible to respiratory, neurological and digestive disorders, and will be more vulnerable to infection, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. These complications, combined with the fact that his organs are not fully developed at birth, may make his development slower than that of a full-term baby but, unless he develops a serious disorder, he is likely to follow the same developmental path.
Corrected Age
Some medical professionals use a concept called "corrected age" to determine where a premature baby should be in her physical, social and language development. To calculate your child's corrected age, subtract the number of weeks she was born early from her chronological age. For example, if she is 24 weeks old and she was born five weeks prematurely, her corrected age is 19 weeks. Use this number to gauge your baby's progress compared to normal developmental milestones. For example, a full-term baby should be able to roll over by the five-month mark, but your baby is born five weeks early and she does not roll over until she is six months old, she is still on a normal developmental path. Medical professionals differ in their opinions regarding how long the need for corrected age lasts, but most use it for the first one to three years.
Catching Up
The rate at which your child catches up to others of the same chronological age will vary for different aspects of his development and also will depend on any complications he experiences that may slow his development for a time, according to Emory University's School of Medicine. Some developmental milestones, such as language, are experience-based while others are dependent on physical development. Even aspects of physical development differ. For example, your child's head circumference is likely to catch up quickly, but development of his central nervous system will not. If your child has no serious health problems and receives adequate nutrition, he should reach his genetically determined size eventually.
Developmental Testing
If your child was born prematurely, she needs frequent developmental testing since some disabilities do not appear until your child reaches the age when she should begin to walk, use her hands and speak. Frequent testing helps to measure the effectiveness of treatment and adaptive aids, such as braces or hearing aids, and will reveal if she is narrowing the gap between her skills and the norm for her age group, according to Emory University's School of Medicine.
Parental Role
Since premature babies follow the same general pattern of development as full-term children, you can utilize the same techniques used for full-term children to help support your baby's development, but you will need to do these exercises more frequently. Baby Development News recommends that you play active games with your baby and use educational toys to increase stimulation during play. Help your child to develop an awareness of his surroundings by pointing out things he can see or hear and activities that are happening around him. For example, say to him, "Look at the bird on the fence. Can you hear him sing?" Recite rhymes or sing songs while you play games that involve movement. To encourage your child's language development, link words to tangible objects, such as parts of his body, clothing or food.
