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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

4 week premature baby. Are there developmental delays?

14 replies

twinklingfairy · 09/01/2009 20:23

I am probably being silly and impatient, but DS is now 10 weeks and still no smiles
Is this normal for a premature baby?

There are also circumstances that may have prevented him from feeling especially happy so he might not have felt like it until after 6 weeks. When we discovered that he had double hernias, one of which had been painful for him.
But still, he really does very little but frown and grumble loudly. Not so much crying though so that is good, but boy, that grumbling is loud!

I need more patience with him don't I, after what he has been through and him being 4 weeks early?
You can't help but compare though and DD was a smiler from 6 weeks.

Is it normal for premature babies to be delayed in their development, or is it his troublesome first 6 weeks, or is he just a miserable moo
Or worse, but I keep reminding myself, it is waaay to early to worry that much.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

duckyfuzz · 09/01/2009 20:27

my DTs were 5 weeks early, my first (only!) DC so I had nothing to compare them with but they did take longer than I'd anticipated to smile and to do a few other things, al caught up now - they say they need a year for every week to catch up - so by 4 he'll be competely level (not sure how accurate this is though!) good luck

Original poster

twinklingfairy · 09/01/2009 20:33

Goodness a Year for every week!
I kinda thought I could cope with him being 4 weeks behind. Counting or thinking of him as not meant to be here until 6 weeks ago. Therefore normally babies smile in their 6th week? So DS should be smiling any day now, but nope, just staring and frowning.

OP posts:

SlightlyMadScientist · 09/01/2009 20:36

They do not need a year for every week premature....my DTDs were 13weeks premature and they were fully caught up to their peers by the time they were 12-15m old. In fact we were advised that all premature babies should be "within the normal range" by 2years.

For the first 2 years they do tend to do assessments at "their corrected age" - which would be 6wks for your DS.

dinny · 09/01/2009 20:39

dd was just over 4 weeks early and she did things at around her corrected age for the first year, 18 months I think...up till then she was very sleepy

but do remember they say 37 weeks is term, and 40 weeks is full term

SlightlyMadScientist · 09/01/2009 20:39

twinkling - you imply that your DS has spent some time in hospital?

WRT smiling (and laughing) we found that the 6wks started counting when they left hospital. I think that they just didn't get the nice smiley and laughy stimulation whilst they were in hospital as were weren't doing too much smiling and laughing to teach them IYSWIM.

I woudln't worry too much at this stage...smiles do start suddenly - we may look no-where near today and be full of smiles tomorrow.

FattipuffsandThinnifers · 09/01/2009 20:41

I'm no experts on premies, but isn't it the case generally that you have to adjust their age by x weeks according to how early they were born? So, in your case, your ds's adjusted age (ie if he had been born at term) would be 6 weeks - and smiling usually begins around now (6-8 weeks usually), so nothing to worry about!

I'm sure your HV can give you the full picture generally on premature babies/development, but hth a bit.

And congratulations on your ds

Original poster

twinklingfairy · 09/01/2009 20:49

He only spent 6 days in Special Care, with me up and down like a yo yo getting BF established. Then home with us until a check up at 6 weeks, with a specialist, who spotted the hernia I had been completely unaware of A couple of overnights with that and home again.
He has still been unsettled since then and seems to be settling down now, 3-4 weeks after the op.
I should just stop worrying then. The whole corrected age thing does put him at 6 weeks, so I should give him a couple more weeks?

This is all perfectly normal. Frustrating, but normal.??

OP posts:

gigglewitch · 09/01/2009 20:52

my dd was three and a half weeks early, but the three and a half weeks mattered til she was around six or seven mo - after that it's negligible. Yes definitely adjust everything by the month that your ds was early - we even included the vacs and she was in no hurry to wean so we were nearer eight months when we did that.
The first few weeks are hard, particularly with your second (and i'd reckon harder than with the third!!) Are you ok? Get rest whenever you can and although it is part of the job to worry yourself to distraction, try to remember how early he was as a percentage of his life - which at this point in time is huge. As that percentage decreases, he will follow the markers more. But as others - including op are saying, all babies are different and do stuff in a different order. Honestly.
You've got the best support in the world on here, keep posting

duckyfuzz · 09/01/2009 20:53

the year/week thing is not something I was aware of til they started school and someone else was talking about it - as far as I'm aware my DTs had caught by around 12-15 months. As you say OP, not smiling yet is not something to panic about yet

Dozymare · 09/01/2009 20:55

Hi twinkle - Tiger is also 10 weeks old........she only really started giving huge spontanious gummy grins (heart meltingly so!) about 2 weeks ago. (She was 38 weeks by CS).

I'm sure everything is fine

Original poster

twinklingfairy · 09/01/2009 21:01

Do you know, apart from the fact that all any of us want is a happy baby, I think I worry more because I just thought he was just a grumbly baby for 6 weeks when it turned out he was in pain. I think I really want that proof that he is actually going to be a happy child, eventually.
I find it hard to get myself out of the mindset of, oh well, he will just be a little less easy to please as DD.
Does that make sense at all??

OP posts:

gigglewitch · 09/01/2009 21:30

yes twink, it does make a lot of sense.
My ds1 was intolerant to cows milk - a delightful fact that we discovered when he was 20mo - he'd never been either settled or happy - as i bf him but had an enormous quantity of cows milk and related foods in my diet thinking it was "good for me/him" - then weaned him on to a normal diet and formula milk.
I also wondered whether he'd ever be well, and would ever have a smile on his face and some energy to do things
He was 8yo on Tues and i can happily say he got sorted and is a fantastic little fella.
Some just don't get the best start in life - but they sure make up for it later.

Original poster

twinklingfairy · 09/01/2009 22:01

Ah you poor guys, and what a shame or your boy to have to go through that for so long unspotted. I thought it was bad enough that DS was 6 weeks before his hernia was spotted.
Thank you for sharing, I am sure that my litle boy will be a great guy soon, too

OP posts:

jeanjeannie · 10/01/2009 11:34

My DD1 was 7 weeks prem and at 2.2yrs hasn't caught up! Our Paed also said we could be looking at a year for every week

DD2 is only 7 mnths old now and I can see the difference - it's startling. She smiled quicker - grabs things - eats her toes! DD1 did none of that.

I can just see DD1 catching up now - her words are suddenly coming out and she's more confident - but it has taken time. Just take time, relax and enjoy him. Like our GP said - 'like a fine wine - you can't rush a good child'

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