Baby development

[Mcdiva]

I'm sure this is one of the most asked questions in premmie mums.
My DS was born at 30 + 4 due to IUGR and was 895g. After 10 weeks he came home, just after his due date. He is 14 weeks actual now and 4 weeks corrected but I don't know what I should be expecting developmentally wise.
Durning tummy time he can lift his head for a few seconds and when on my shoulder. He can kinda shuffle his way on a mat when on his back sometimes.
He will stare at things but I'm not sure if he is actually focused on it and nothing will break that stare.
His hearing test came back inconclusive in one ear and I've noticed he doesn't react to loud noises. The dogs went wild at the postman and he woke up but didn't show signs of a fright (my heart was in my mouth!)

I know every baby is different but I just need some guidelines for him to follow because I don't know if he is even hitting 1 month development marks yet

Its a worrying time isn't it :(

I've got 2 ex prems, a 32 weeker who seemed to catch up by term and a 27 weeker who's only just age appropriate at 2 and had a fair bit of physiotherapy but doesn't appear to have any lasting problems.

Try not to think to much about it. I know that's much easier said than done but trying yourself up In knots about what might be in the future will stop you enjoying what's going on now :)

It sounds as if at 4 weeks corrected he's doing exactly what he should be doing anyway, they all develop differently and in their own time.

Will they be repeating his hearing test ?

Thanks macrophage, that was his third hearing test. The left ear got the all clear but they want to retest the right sometime.
Just hard not to think about but when I look through all he's gone through already I know he's a fighter :)

My DD was born at 31 weeks. I've completely lost track of her age in weeks, but she is six months adjusted, eight months actual age.
Because of other medical problems, she has been to the physio a couple of times. The physio charts her physical development against her adjusted age. Similar to how the health visitor charts her weight etc.

Anecdotally, I think it can take years for prems to fully catch up with their peers.

Hope that's of some help. And congratulations on the birth and homecoming of your little one.

There are no set rules, some babies take longer to catch up than others.
When ds2 was first discharged (28wks) we were told by 12 months we would stop using corrected age. But as he was still v delayed at 12 months his paed said that they still made allowances until a baby is about 2 yrs if not meeting milestones etc.

Your ds sounds as if he is doing brilliantly btw, as long as he is making progress (and your ds certainly is) then its a case of wait & see, as hard as that may seem.
The other thing to remember is that prem babys can often have slightly disordered development & may do really well in one area while another area may remain delayed for a little while longer.

DD was born at 29+2, and is now 2 1/2. Her developmental story was patchy at best - mental development was in line with peers at 12 months actual age, but physically she still lags her peers by about 6 months (not corrected). FOr instance, she was only able to sit "safely" at 12 months and only really walked at 18 (not corr.). Yet, she was smiling before term and babbling at 4 months not corrected.
However, I noticed paeds (in both countries we have lived in since her birth) tend to agree that no one really expects babies born before 32 wks or under 1.5Kg to be totally at par with peers before the age of 3 (and some of them take longer).

BTW, I would not worry too much about the dog story either - before 12-18 months absolutely no noises startled DD (dogs, hoover, planes rolling, bells ringing, lawnmower), and her hearing test came up clear. I cannot tell you for sure it's not a symptom of a problem, but by itself does not mean there is one iykwim.

I know how you feel though: even now I worry all the time about what she can't do vs. her peers, and whether she will ever catch up (my thing at the moment is that she is not capable of jumping). My DH, who is much more relaxed, teases me saying that I am missing the good bits (e.g. her being brought up bilingual) by focussing on the difficulties, which so far have always sorted themselves out eventually one way or the other anyway. He is right, yet I cannot help it!

Try not to worry too much about development milestones. For the moment I would look at the things that a baby of his corrected age is expected to do and anything else is a bonus. Please try not to compare too much to full-term babies of the same age who will still be bigger and seem much more advanced.

My dd was born at 27 weeks and caught up with many milestones by the time she was 2 years old but she has remained small for her age. Try and focus on the things your child can do rather than those they can't. 4 weeks is still a bit early to test hearing accurately but at this stage they can sleep through most things. My dd slept through a smoke alarm when my OH burnt the toast!

My dd is now 11 and now fine - in fact she is ahead of her age in many aspects at school!
She did need some help with speech development but this was recognised early on and was very helpful.

hope this helps

Mcdiva first of all congratulations!

My DS was born at 35w and I still adjust his age... HV told me they will adjust till his 18 or 24 months.

It's hard not to compare him with other babies and not look into books to see what he should be doing by now. I'm sure he's not behaving like an 11 month baby, but I like to think that he's on the right track.

I agree with what has been said, try not to worry too much, as long as you think he's developing that all it matters now.
Good luck!