Child Progression Milestones: From Infancy to Age 5 for Premature Babies
Headline: Understanding Milestones: A Guide to a Premature Baby's Development
Subheadline: Adjusting a premature baby's age provides a more accurate comparison with full-term babies, helping to track developmental milestones more effectively.
A premature baby, or preemie, may face challenges in reaching developmental milestones at the same pace as full-term babies. However, adjusting a preemie's age—using their adjusted age (also called corrected age)—aligns their developmental expectations more closely with full-term peers. This adjustment is crucial, especially during the first two years, which is a critical period for growth and neurodevelopment.
At 15 Months, a preemie will show you what she needs by pointing or pulling you in that direction. She will also remember the names of several things, such as the names of foods, people, or toys. At this age, she will try to feed herself with a spoon and address you as "mama." She will also say "hi" and follow you around the house.
By 18 Months, a preemie can scribble on paper with a pencil, walk without help and sometimes run, follow simple instructions, like 'give me the toy', and engage in pretend play, such as pretending to feed a doll. She will also use words to ask for food or drink and say at least 5 to 10 different words. She will also show signs of independence, such as eating on her own and saying "no" if she does not want something.
At 2 years, a toddler can talk in simple sentences and can follow 2-part instructions. She can also use at least 20 different words, including pronouns. At this age, she can help with easy household work and will stop when you tell her to do so. She will also be able to wash her hands without help and can read picture books and turn pages on her own.
By 24 to 30 Months, a toddler can remember rhymes and recite them, recognise primary colours, and open doors using the doorknob. She can also scribble in circular movements and draw vertical lines, stand unsupported on one foot, and climb up and downstairs by herself.
At 3 years, a 3-year-old can draw a circle, jump in place and balance on one foot, pedal a tricycle, and cut using safety scissors. She can also dress with help, wash her own hands, and is toilet-trained. At this age, she can also show leadership abilities and recognise extended family members by name and relationship.
Adjusting a premature baby's age allows for fairer comparison with full-term babies and improves tracking developmental milestones by accounting for early birth. This helps to avoid mislabeling typical prematurity-related delays as permanent problems. Pediatricians rely on adjusted age to assess growth and neurodevelopmental progress, tailoring monitoring and interventions accordingly. A prognostic model validated for preterm infants can predict long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes by considering corrected age and other factors, guiding personalized care and expectations.
