Development (8 months actual /6 corrected)

[Makako]

I'm sure there are tons of threads like this...I'm just another first time Mum with a preemie who worries about every little thing.

My son is 8 months actual / 6.1 months corrected and he can't roll, can't sit unaided and only just started pushing himself up on his hands fully and reach for toys on his belly. His head control is pretty good but he can't lift up his head off the floor when he's on his back at all.

On the other hand, he can sit really well in his highchair and can feed himself (his fine motor skills are pretty good), he eats lumpy and finger foods, he can stand with support (his legs are strong from constant kicking, I call him 'feet artist' as he gets around in his cot by climbing the bars :) ), he babbles, smiles, giggles and pretty content.

We go to physio because he has slight torticollis but other than that healthy as can be. I'm just worried that they have missed something with him because he looks so well and healthy (he's nearly 20lb now, born with 3lb 12oz) and doesn't look premature so everyone (HV, pedi, physio) assumes he's ok.

I know, I shouldn't compare to other babies but I can't see him getting mobile for a long time...arrghh, I hate this. It's not that I want him rolling/crawling around everywhere either, I enjoy playing with him on the mat and the cuddles. I should stop worrying about the future constantly and what if I miss something, but I can't. I guess, this is the worst part about having a preemie, you just don't know how they will turn out. If I knew for sure that he will be able to walk and talk by the age of 3, I would sit back and relax.

Not looking for advice really (nobody can help only time will tell) but, anyone else in the same shoes? I'd love to hear stories or just vent your frustration here.
How do you cope?

Thanks.

It is very hard not to worry but he sounds entirely normal to me. If he was nearly 2 months premature, it can take a while to catch up and whilst some babies can roll at 6 months, I think the vast majority can't. My DTs were born in April and on Christmas Day so over 8 months actual was the 1st time my DS rolled (and then he didn't do it again for at least another month). I have a photo of them with cushions supporting them whilst they're sitting - so also couldn't sit unaided. They also used to go mad if we ever even attempted to lie them on their fronts - they would last literally a minute because they hated it so much.

I also think at 20lb at 8 months, he's definitely made up for his low birth weight. My DTs didn't get to 20lbs until their 1st actual birthday so that also might be contributing to his lack of mobility. I don't mean that negatively - its great he's gained weight - but now with the benefit of hindsight with child number 3, I think boys are generally slower (whether premature or not) to reach milestones, and the heavier the baby, the slower they are to roll / crawl / walk. Obviously thats a sweeping statement and my experience just from friends / my antenatal group, but honestly, it doesn't sound to me as if you have anything to worry about.

HTH

Hi Makako,

I'm glad I found this. My DS was 3 months prem and is now 6 month corrected (9 actual) and sounds very similar to how you describe.

I have seen him roll by himself maybe twice, he can not sit unaided and does not tolerate tummy time very well - I try every day but he cries and doesn't yet reach for toys when on his tummy, unlike your son. He also can't really feed himself and if I put finger foods into his hand he usually just drops them. That said, he is brilliant on his legs (we wants to stand ALL the time - hard work for me!) and has recently started babbling a lot - he is very chatty!

I am a member of an online baby group with women whose babies were born when DS should have been, so I know he's possibly a little behind some of his contemporaries but I'm not really worried. I know he'll do it all eventually - it might just take a bit longer.

I meant to add, despite being just 2lb 12oz when his was born my DS is now 20lb too so has caught up really well. I have heard that bigger babies have to work harder at rolling etc and I think boys are generally 'lazier' than girls on the whole (I was told this numerous times when he was in SCBU) so I think that might be a contributing factor too.

Thanks Mandy21 and Snowboarder for the encouragement.

I know, I should be happy that we have been blessed with a relatively smooth journey through NICU and the early days. I'm sure I'll look back at this in a couple of months and will not remember why I was so worried.

I have also been told that boys tend to be lazier than girls and my hubby was a huge baby (although full-term) and didn't walk until he was 16 months. He talked early though.

Anyhoo, we're back in the hospital for his next check up in early March and if he doesn't start to show any signs of getting mobile I'm sure they will look into it then.

Thanks again.

We're back in Jan Makako so I will ask about my DS and (if I remember!) will try and update on this thread.

Hello,

I've got another non-mobile ex-prem! My DD is now 15 months actual (1 year corrected yesterday!) and has only just within the last week mastered rolling over one way (back to front) as of the last week. She sat unaided at 10 months corrected and cannot bear weight/pull to stand/get to sitting from lying/crawl or shuffle. We've been under physio from day one for torticollis and plagiocephaly but as she progressed as it became apparent that her gross motor skills were lagging so we've stayed under physio who are great.

You've hit the nail on the head when you say the worst part is not knowing. DD had a realtively smooth SCBU journey and although has had a rocky year, really has no major issues. She doesn't "look prem" although it is beginning to get more noticeable as she gets older than she is about half the size of her peers and lagging behind in skills. When we had the 1 year assesment, they did a development test which scored different areas from good/normal to emerging to at risk. We've just had another assesment at 1 year corrected and what the paeds said was that about 3 months either side of the "standard" age for mastering skills is fine and would only be classed as a 'lag' rather than 'delay'. Sitting wise, between 7-9 months (corrected for prems) is the normal range so your LO is still not at that stage. Although I know i constantly secretly hoped mine would defy expectations and do everything early and put my mind at risk! Not the case. What the paeds have also just said recently is that they are not looking specifically at whole skills eg. sitting/standing/crawling, they are more interested in tone and reflexes. So although mine does not yet crawl or shuffle they are happy with where she is at with tummy time, but they are a little more concerned with her reflexes and muscle tone when they try weight bearing which they might look at further if there is no improvement in 4-6 months.

Sorry for virtual essay!

Thanks, Snowboarder.

Amymouse, thanks for sharing your experience. It's hard not to worry, isn't it? I know it can take longer for some to catch up than others and I'm sure both of our children will get there in their own time.

My best friend had a preemie too last year and her son only just started attempting to crawl but cannot sit or pull to stand at 16 months actual. She takes him to physio twice a week and they have some developmental class every day! (She is absolutely exhausted). She says they're hopeful he will walk next year. He is spastic / has high muscle tone. This was very apparent from the start though and you can even feel it when holding him, he's very stiff. He was born at 28 weeks but had severe IUGR, brain bleeds and all the complications imaginable so he's beating the odds! They're tough little cookies!

I should have said my DTs were born at 27+6 and only 2lb 6oz each when they were born.

hello

I just thought I would ad my two pennies. My DS is now 18 months corrected and he does have spastic diplegic cerebral palsy along with hypermobility. I say that not to worry you but to put things in context. I spend a lot of time with physios as a result and am passing on what I have been told.

The first thing I will say is that almost all prems have low muscle tone in their trunk. This is because they were small when they were born. The physios say that this is something they can tell with all children who were prem, even when they are 5 ish and have no noticeable signs of their early birth. Ds has low muscle tone in his trunk this is because he was prem, not because he has cp. He is getting stronger now. This causes real problems with sitting, and pushing up from their tummies. It just hurts and they don't have the strength. If you LO has any ongoing breathing or reflux issues that will also delay things further. So I wouldn't worry yet. The physios also say rolling is not a sign of anything. My DS did it at 7 weeks corrected, btu he didn't roll like other babies did, but he ticked that box early nontheless. the paeds couldn't care less.

The physio first started thinking about cp at 7 months corrected, we got the diagnosis at 10 months corrected. The give away was not whether he could roll (he could) and for that matter he could sit when he was 10 months corrected even if he was very wobbly then that was late but not ridiculous.

The give aways to problems were the tone in his ankles, and legs, the lack of reflexes, balance, etc and the fact he really enjoyed kicking (in itself not an issue, but he did that because of the spasticity) which when coupled with the prematurity was a problem. The boundary between development delay due to being premature, and mild cerebral palsy is very difficult to draw. My next door neighbour has a son with mild CP, who was prem, but she has never had the official diagnosis as the treatment is the same. Lots of positions for play and physio.

If you already have the physio you have what you'd get if there was a problem anyway (not that there sounds like there is yet) and the physios respond to the cues the children give them and up the sessions when there is a reason to. In the meantime I will repeat what I was told repeatedly last year, which is try to just relax and enjoy things. I thought at the time I was told this don't be so silly, how can I just relax and enjoy things. But I am back at work now, and being back at work means that at some level i wish I had enjoyed my leave more, and enjoyed it at the time

Hey hildathebuilder. Thanks very much for your reply. I don't come on here too often and just remembered to check in.

I have been reading a lot about possible complications and of course CP is on the top of the list so I will make sure to ask questions next time I see the consultant. His whole NICU stay is such a blur and I would like to clarify a few things around his birth.

Anyway, since my original post he started sitting really well on his own (though he can't pull up yet), he can sit for up to an hour and play with toys around him and is very good at balancing. He's sort of starting to wriggle on his tummy, pushing up high and gets frustrated because he doesn't know how to take off. Saw physio this week and she said IF he doesn't get mobile in the next 2 months by which time he will be 10 months corrected then they will up his sessions to help him. She seems to think he's ok, just a little slow.

I wish you all the best with your son, I'm sure he's a very strong boy.

My ds was born at 27+4wks weighing 1lb 13oz, she didn't manage to roll over until 1 yr. Cp was a concern at the time, but she doesn't have it and is now a happy healthy 5yo.

Update

Since my last post, he has turned one and all of a sudden started doing everything within a space of 2 weeks (he is 12,5 months/10.6 corrected). He cut two teeth, started sitting up on his own, started creeping then went straight to crawling, pulling up on sofa and now cruising. I think he will walk very soon...I'm so relieved now. This is all without any physio sessions, PT sees him every other month and just assesses him and makes recommendations how to encourage him but he pretty much started doing things on his own.

Thought I'd update here because I know I was looking for encouraging stories when I was desperate a few months ago. It's always good hear the positive. :-)

Thabk you for that . My ds is 10 months , 8 corrected and can't sit although he has been rolling for ages . We are under paed care and they said last time we saw her ( 2 months ago) they were very worried about his development . He has delayed visual maturation and wasn't reaching for toys . In those 2 months he has changed so much and reaches for everything , feeds himself etc .. We are seeing her again tomorrow and I am scared as she said he would have to have a MRI if there was no improvement . He has mastered everything except sitting so hopefully we will be ok .