When do early baby's catch up size wise?

[Busybeesbutt]

Hi my nephew was born at 34 and 4 weeks. Sil worried as he's small and I wanted to know at what age or thereabouts premature babies at this gestation catch up to others. Thanka

It's difficult to say, they're all so different. My child was early and is now 9, she's still smaller than average but not too drastically now.

Ds was born @35 weeks and at 3yo his 2-3 clothes for perfectly. He has never been behind developmentally at all though. Caught up eventually size wise though could never imagined it when he was only 4-12!!

No difference by a year but may have been a lot early and I didn’t notice!

My 34 weeker had caught up by a year.

He’s tall for his age now.

My daughter was born at 31 weeks. She's short and slight but I'm short too so maybe she always would have been.

Sorry she's 10 now.

DD was 29 weeks and 2lb12. At twelve months adjusted she was 23lb, average weight for a 12 month old baby.

She has always been very tall, tallest all through primary school. In fact when the consultant first scanned me at 20weeks he asked how tall I was and how tall her dad was as her thigh length was so great.

It's so hard to say, my twins were born at 36 weeks and the significantly smaller of the two at birth is now pretty 'average' in 18-24m clothes and the larger of the two at birth is still in 6-9 month clothes and they're 2 in April! They're the same height he's just really 'skinny' so to speak.
They've been fed and treated exactly the same since birth, same time in NICU and same feeding patterns when they were newborn. I think it's fair to say that all babies are different - I would raise any concerns with their gp/hv team.

My twins were born at 34+5 and were 4lb 4oz and 3lb 5oz. They also went into the 'correct' sized clothes at around 2 years old. They are now nearly 9 years old and are 140cm tall so a bit above average. They are skinny but so are hubby and I. Interestly they are exactly the same height and weight as each other now

My 8 year old was born at 32 weeks. He dropped down to the 2nd centile height and weight wise within a few months and has stayed there ever since but doctors not concerned now as he's stayed on his curve.
He is the same height as and actually weighs less than his brother who is 2 years younger. I get asked if I have twins and he just tells people he was premature if anyone comments.

Sil says he was born on 25th for weight and 50th for length at his gestation which seems hopeful. The consultant told her that 5.5 weeks early isn't really that early

My small 34weeker is now tall for her age at 18 months. She measured at 98th percentile at her 12 month review with HV.

98th percentile for height that should say. From about 3 months onwards she was always at 50th percentile for weight.

My triplets were 9 when the 2 boys caught up with their peers. My daughter never did and is only 5'1" as an adult. The boys are currently waiting for a growth spurt. They're 18 and 5'8".

My LB was born on the 4th centile for weight at 38+4 , he is 2 now and still in 12-18 month clothes, DD was born at 39 weeks on 9th centile, she has recently turned 1 and still in 6-9 month clothing - they are both happy and healthy - we do get comments about them being small for their age but i dont worry as they are both fine .

Really difficult to say. DS was a big preemie and has always been above the 90th centile.
He's still not caught up developmentaly though at 3.5 years
Similarly I know children that are still small but caught up developmentally. It's a case of wait and see.

My DD born at 32 weeks caught up by 6 months but some babies are just little even when they’re born full term. The important part is whether he’s gaining weight in line with his percentiles

DS1 (born at 24 weeks) was absolutely teenytiny for ages, and was well below the 2nd centile for both weight and height for several years. He's never been in the correct age clothes. However he is now 12 and has really grown up and out over the past year. He's still shorter than all of his friends but wears age 10-11 clothes, which means he's really catching up now. I don't think he'll ever be very tall though, he's substantially shorter than I was aged 12 and I'm only 5'1" now.

My twins were born at 27 weeks weighing 2lb 6oz each. They were both 20lbs + at 12 months which as a pp said is pretty average for a 1 year old.

OP your SIL is right, 4 weeks early isn't really that early.

The midwife said to me that premature babies often surprise you as teens/adults
growth wise and she wasn't wrong.

31 weeks here and ds is now 14 and over 6ft and in a size 14 shoe!

Mine was born at 34w at 50th centile (for gestation), had a horrible first year with reflux when he couldn’t keep anything down and was 2nd centile corrected by the time he was 12m. Then the second we got on top of that, he sprouted! He’s 3 now and 50th centile for actual age. Good luck to your nephew, and remember they do bounce back, no matter how diddy and fragile they look to start with - you’ll be favourite aunty in no time x

Our 4 and half year old twins were born 10 weeks early and both have made great strides in catching up size wise from very different starts.

Our boy caught up within a year (born at 40th centile for his gestational age), and is now above 75th centile for his chronological age (as opposed to adjusted age - which is the age he would have been if he'd been carried to term).

Our daughter was born weighing so little she off the bottom of the growth charts, didn't get on them until she was 2 and a half, and is now around the 12th centile.

My 3 year old was a 34 weeker. She was also growth restricted and off the bottom of the growth chart at birth. She is still petite but now in clothes for her age. I reckon she caught up between 2 and 3.

My DD was only 4 weeks early and a good birth weight of 6 and a half pounds but at almost 2 yrs old she's still not 20lb yet. They all grow at different rates and most have caught up by the time they are 12 months