Developmental Milestones

As your baby begins to show interest in you and in what's around her, you will begin to expect her to do things like rolling over, sitting up, and crawling. Keep in mind that your baby was born before the muscles and the nerves that control them were fully developed.

Your child might not be able to control her movements as soon as you would expect for a full-term infant.

Show your happiness as she learns new movements, and be patient and understanding as she develops at her own pace. Also remember that her personality and her health can affect her progress.

The table below shows how premature infants usually develop according to their corrected age. Use this as a general guide to follow your child's progress, but remember that some children may skip some of these stages, which may or may not affect later learning ability. It is important to contact your doctor or developmental specialist if you notice areas in which your child is delayed.

"Flat Head" syndrome and Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS)

Don't forget to prevent "flat head" syndrome and reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS), always place your baby on her tummy to play and on her back to sleep.

Adapted and reprinted with permission from "Your Premature Baby and Child" by Amy E. Tracy and Dianne I. Maroney (Berkley, 1999).