How long does it take a premmie to catch up to their age?
For example, do they generally start first grade a little later or are they physically caught up by then?
I will reply to you tomorrow with the whole thing about my son. Its hub and I’s 16th anninversary today and I have to go so check back tomorrow.
Tiny premies usually are physically caught up by the age of three. Her due date will always be her real ‘birth’ date, and the probablility of learning difficulties will be very high.
She has already proved that she is a survivor, so she will compensate for any neurological deficits, with other skills and talents.
Depends how you define “preemie”. Most of these super-preemies end up severely disabled and never start real first grade (and in some cases not even a special ed first grade). Bigger preemies are usually physically small throughout their lives, but otherwise fine or with just mild physical impairments or learning disabilities. It’s amazing that this little girl is even alive, but she may not ever be a candidate for first grade, unfortunately. The fact that’s she almost 3 months past what should have been her birth date, and still can’t breathe unaided or swallow, suggests that she’s far from out of the woods physically. She does look quite alert though, which bodes well for her mental development.
I was born two and a half months early, and weighed three pounds. That was back in 1970.
I could read at the age of three.
And I started kindergarten at the age of four.
I don’t think that there are really any hard and fast rules about how long it takes to “catch up.” My parents say there was never any “catching up” for me to do and that I was always ahead of my peers.
I was always TINY, though. And that has more to do with genetics than any difficulties with being born premature.
The pediatricians never put me on a special chart to gauge my development when compared to other babies.
“How long does it take a premmie to catch up to their age?
For example, do they generally start first grade a little later or are they physically caught up by then?”
Every case is different, but in my case, My son is the third tallest in his class. He came home with 4 “A”s today. He caught up within his first year. (Yes I am proud of him and thank God for our blessings)