Premature baby’s development should always be assessed by their due date and not the date they were actually born. This is often referred to as a baby’s corrected age.
Your baby’s development will be regularly assessed and monitored by their healthcare professional. This should reassure you that your baby is doing well and also address any concerns you may have. Always remind them of your baby’s corrected age.
Some babies may need extra support from a physiotherapist or occupational therapist to help them to meet their developmental milestones.
You may be given some advice on activities which you can do daily to promote your child's development.
EiSMART have developed a series of video resources for parents and families. These contain techniques to enhance every-day activities and help them to be more supportive of your baby’s development, from ways of picking up your baby to changing their nappy.
These activities are appropriate to begin from around term age (your baby’s due date) to three months corrected. Please note that the babies featured in these videos are full-term, however these are evidence-based resources for aiding in the development of premature babies.
If you have any concerns about your baby’s development, then you should discuss this with your healthcare professional.
