Very premmie babies - how quickly do they catch up?

[suejonezisdanielsmummy]

Daniel was born at 27 weeks and was less than a kilo. He's now nealry 14 months and is doing very well. I'm going to try to persuade my GP to refer him to a consultant as I doubt he had any of the normal checks.

But I'd like to know how I can expect his development to progress - I know that I need assess him according to his due date not actual birth date but presumably not forever! How quickly should he be catching up?

He is currently pulling himself up on furniture and sitting down again on his own, commando crawling quite fast but not with his belly off the floor, walking with me holding both hands and a bit wobbly hlding one hand only. No obvious medical problems.

I have no experience of premmies so I'd love to know if anyone has any words of advice for me prior to tackling the GP.

(In case you don't know I adopted him at 11 months - hence no check ups from consultant)

i think a routine check with a consultant would be a marvellous idea. sparkly has had preemies so she knows when to stop using 'corrected age'. but he sounds like he is doing very well

congratulations on becoming a mum!

Is there anyone here that doesn't know?
Glad you are both home.
No words of advice but sounds as though he is doing well.

I had his medical checked by a specialist in the US but only on paper so I know he is doing remarkably well for a 2lb 27 weeker - sadly when tiny babies like that are abandoned in countries with very little spare cash only the tough ones survive. All they get is oxygen and a bit of tube feeding - if that isn't enough they don;t make it so ironically the premmies you do see tend to be healthier than many you would come across here. Though not for the right reasons.

My mum nearly had a heart attack when she found out how premmie he was and predicted all sorts of dire problems ahead. Of course there are some which would not show yet but otherwise he seems in pretty good nick to me!

Does everyone really know about us? Someone said earlier that we were a big topic of conversation but I thought she was exaggerating.

OK my dd was born at 27 weeks and they suggested using her corrected agee until she was 2. However IRRC, she didn't walk until 21 months - the consultant said she didn't need to, so she didn't!! She didn't talk before about 22 months, and then at 2 had about 30 words. She didn't manage to eat proper solid food untils he was a year old, she potty trained (which took a year) from 2.5 - 3.5. She is now 7 and except for being small there are no other specific issues. She isn't he most intellegent, nor the daftest! She is average for her age. She will never be an intelectual!

However at her 1st b'day there was her just standing (Holding stuff) another little 27 weeker twin sitting and her brother how could sit up even at a year. Now at 7 or 8 in march the twins are far bigger then my dd, but there us very little wrong with any of them

Hi there! My niece was born at 27 weeks 3 years ago, weighing 1lb 12oz. She is due to start playgroup after Easter and has no current health problems whatsoever. She is a little on the small side for her age, but is talking well. She walked at 22 months and was on oxygen for 10 months.
My sister is going to be quite an expert as she had a little boy on Saturday, 26 weeks 2lb 4oz! I will ask her if she has any words of advice when she's home! Im glad Daniel is doing well.

Hi Sue and congratulations! My DS was a 29 weeks and 1 kilo premmie so relatively similar to Daniel. I have been told by our consultant to expect to keep adjusting his age for the first three/four years - it takes early premmies a lot longer to catch up that premmies born after 34 weeks for example. Most health visitors stop adjusting premmies ages once they are a year old.

Would definitely expect your GP to refer you to a consultant, we are still under consultant care for DS and he has checks every three months.

I can only speak about my experience but DS's mental development has been spot on (and in some cases matching actual birth date rather than EDD) but he had more problems with physical development. He was referred to a physio and has only really started toddling about confidently now at 22mo. However from what you've said about Daniel's development I think he sounds as though he's doing quite well with the physical side of things.

It may be worth having a look at the mumsnet guides for what a 1 year old should be doing and seeing how you think Daniel is comparing.

My only other advice would be that DS is terribly prone to catching every cough, cold and bug in existence and has been on anti-biotics a lot - you can't be shy about carting them to the doctors once a week if they seem to need it. Also keep an ear out for wheezing, premmies are v prone to chesty problems.

bliss have a parent message board for parents of older prems which could be a good source of information. CAT me if you want to know anything else! Photos of DS in profile!!

Hi Sue,in answer to your question,I do not know but my 9LB+ baby,overdue,now nearly 14 months is not doing any of those things!!!So I really shouldn't worry as he sounds like he is getting on just fine.FWIW I was born at 28 weeks,was in an incubator and oxygen dependent for 3 months.Apparently I was talking in short sentences by 2 but did not move off my backside until 16 months (think dd has inherited this trait!!).I have no noticeable problems and a degree(albeit a bit of a crap 2:2,and a postgrad qualification)if that is any marker of intelligence(debatable,I agree).He sounds gorgeous.If you are worried I would suggest seeing if you could get a paediatrician referral.

Have 2 premmie adopted children. DD1 born at aound 32wks(?) and 3lbs 19oz didn't walk until 22 months but speeck was "normal". Had physio and OT as it was found she had mild right hemiplaegia. Little evidence of this now physically unless she's really tired. Has had some difficulties at school but nothing major.
DD2 born at around 28wks and 2lb 2oz walked at 17mths but speech took much longer to come but then came very quickly. Very different pattern of speech acquisition to DD1. She has also had some difficulties at school and is on School Action Plus but again nothing too serious.
DD1 now above average height and average weight. DD2 will always be very "petite".

We had them both checked by paediatrician v soon after coming home but not much to report at that stage.
FWIW both exceptionally healthy children who never seem to get any of the bugs doing the rounds. DD1 has had 3days off school with chicken pox which she caught during Easter hols. DD2 has had 1 day when she fell off her bike. DD1 now 13 and DD2 now 11!Don't know of many others who could beat that record, must have developed v high immunity but both were very very sick as small babes.

Would certainly get referral if you have any concerns then at least you are in the system.

You're welcome to CAT me any time if that would help.

So pleased you are home at last. Hope you are taking it easy and giving yourself lots of treats! Don't know about you but after all we'd endured it was just heaven having family ,friends and (oh what bliss) a washing machine!

3lb10oz not 19 of course!!

Have 2 premmie adopted children. DD1 born at aound 32wks(?) and 3lbs 19oz didn't walk until 22 months but speeck was "normal". Had physio and OT as it was found she had mild right hemiplaegia. Little evidence of this now physically unless she's really tired. Has had some difficulties at school but nothing major.
DD2 born at around 28wks and 2lb 2oz walked at 17mths but speech took much longer to come but then came very quickly. Very different pattern of speech acquisition to DD1. She has also had some difficulties at school and is on School Action Plus but again nothing too serious.
DD1 now above average height and average weight. DD2 will always be very "petite".

We had them both checked by paediatrician v soon after coming home but not much to report at that stage.
FWIW both exceptionally healthy children who never seem to get any of the bugs doing the rounds. DD1 has had 3days off school with chicken pox which she caught during Easter hols. DD2 has had 1 day when she fell off her bike. DD1 now 13 and DD2 now 11!Don't know of many others who could beat that record, must have developed v high immunity but both were very very sick as small babes.

Would certainly get referral if you have any concerns then at least you are in the system.

You're welcome to CAT me any time if that would help.

So pleased you are home at last. Hope you are taking it easy and giving yourself lots of treats! Don't know about you but after all we'd endured it was just heaven having family ,friends and (oh what bliss) a washing machine!

Hi Sue, been thinking about this overnight and the other areas you may want to get checked are Daniel's hearing and his eyesight - my DS had both of these checked when he was quite small but they are areas where premmies can develop problems.

Hi Sue

so pleased to see that you have Daniel home with you.
DD2 was born last March at 27 weeks weighing just a kilo. Now 10 months and doing great but probably still 3 months behind in her physical development - sitting up but not crawling yet so can't see her walking for a good while yet. However i reckon her mental development is pretty well up there with a 10 month old, or maybe that's just me being aproud mum! Can wave, clap and growl when asked what the lion says! I have 2 other children born at 31 weeks who had more or less caught up by the age of 1 / 1 1/2 - ds walked at 14 months, dd1 at 18 months (but that was sheer laziness rather than to do with prematurity).
Good luck to both of you!

It's difficult to tell how much of Daniels delays are due to his prematurity and how many to his institutional delays (normal babies are delays for a month for every three months they spend in an institution). He could sit up at 11 months but three months later is cruising around the furniture.

Isn't making many recognisable sounds but thats hardly surprising given that he changed languages about a month ago - he can say "bye bye" and "mumumumum" (but he thinks that means "come and save me and give me bsicuits and nice things")

I have a 27 weeker and an 30 weeker, and was advised to correct until 4 and half yrs. Godd luk, but sounds like doing v well!

You are right about institutional delay - had also heard the 3mth/1mth thing but I guess it's so hard to know what to attribute to what really when there are so many factors involved. Is there anything in particular that worries you at this stage about Daniel Sue?

No, nothing particular I'm worreid about - I think he's doing very well it's just that I have nothing to guage him against - no ante natal class of camparably aged children. Just curiosity to know how delayed he is I guess.

yes do know what you mean although from what I heard from friends these groups can be subtly and not subtly competitive and I used to soemtimes be quite glad that ours were not a part of all that! However I did spend some time with "the books" from time to time and I must confess to some moments of anxiety as well as some of great pride and joy! Some things they seemed to do bang on normal and others not but in the end most of them "get there". From my expereince I think the important thing seems to have been knowing when and where to access help when needed and I have had much support from others in similar situation. From what you have said though it seems Daniel is doing well. It's amazing how resiliant small children can be and how they can overcome so many difficulties despite the odds.

He has been such a little treasure today after several days of being a nightmare (understandably). Bee you probably know of Dana JOhnson, well I used him to assess Daniels medical (in addition to being an adoption specialist he deals mainly with premmie babies - which was a lucky strike for me). He was very happy with his medical and although he said there were things that might not yet show, that he felt that he was low risk.

Sue, I think his development sounds fine. My DS didn't walk until he was 17 months old, but it's just because he's a right ol' lazy bloke. He used to have this cute little look and I'm sure it said "No mum, I'm not going to walk. Why should I when you'll come pick me up and carry me where I point?"

Hi Sue
So lovely to see you posting at last about Daniel and how he's doing.
As you know Cerys was also born prematurely, at 28 weeks and 1.9 kilos. I was really concerned about her growth and long-term prospects but she is amazing now.
Let me know if you want to ask any specific questions but from the sounds of it Daniel is doing brilliantly. I didn't have any specilaist to consult, i just went with my gut instinct which thankfully turned out right. Cerys is a star and it looks like Daniel will be too!

Hi - yes he is doing really well (he was almost half Cerys's size - imagine that!). I will be interested to hear what a paediatrician in this country would have to say. He looks so much smaller now that we have come back - the children here all look so huge!

Sue I'll also be interested to hear what your doctor has to say about Daniel. Personally I found the first doctor we went to pretty useless, as well as the health visitor. they just kept saying either "oh she's fine" or "you know she should be doing this or that by now" and I kept saying no she shouldnt, she was adopted from an orphanage!
I then moved house, and switched to a different doctor and health visitor, both of whom thankfully were excellent, especially our health visitor who has experience of adopted children so knew what I was on about.
I still feel that Cerys is tiny compared to other children. I boight her some new clothes on Friday and she has graduated from 12-18 months stuff to 18-23 months stuff, although I got her a pair of trousers for 12-18 months and they fit her perfectly. She has recently had a "growth spurt" and is now 87 cm in height- just around the average for 18 months old and she just turned 2. I have had to adjust my thinking about her size, particularly after getting used to Rhiannon who has always been 2 sizes ahead of her biological age.
As you will now know, Kazakhs are slightly built even when they're stocky or overweight so my guess is Daniel will always be little comparatively. It's his awareness and things like motor skills and speech development which are more important, though of course you know that anyway.
From your photos of him he looks small but very strong and alert. I completely understand your concerns but can assure you he will catch up really well.

Great that you got verdict from Dana Johnson I met him some years back and was very impressed by him. He's right in that not every problem is obvious in very young children but it really does sound as if Daniel is doing well and he' s now got everything on his side to help him catch up and be the best that he can be iyswim.
Good luck with your drs appt

Looking at his development today I reckon he is already caught up on his institutional delays as he is doing what you would expect an average 11 month old to do which would be pretty much his age judging from his due date (roughly). Dana Johnson was lovely to me on the phone and I would recommend him to anyone. Sadly I missed his talk in London as I was in kaz - would have loved to have gone...

HI I'm new to mn & ds2 was born at 28wks
he is now 4 & the tallest in playgroup although he does have a few slight long term problems.
He had a standard referal to physio (all babies less than 30wks) at first motor delays thought to be developmental & due to low muscle tone but later dx of mild spastic diplega (cp) but he is remarkably mobile & very independant.
He is just starting to catch up developmentally with his peers, his speech was very delayed but he has glue which is improving & was/is prone to infection but seems to be toughening up as he gets older, this winter he has been much better.
He also has a fantastic sense of humour always makes us laugh & just seems so resiliant.
Daniel sounds like he is doing fantasicaly well & I am sure will groiw in to a happy healthy litttle boy!!