Growth chart and development - adjusting if baby born before 37 weeks

• if a baby is born before 37 weeks gestation, and therefore defined as premature, it is necessary to age-adjust weight and length on a growth chart for the first year. For example, if a baby was born at 35 weeks, at 8 weeks of age, the baby would have a 'corrected age' of 3 weeks (age(8) - (term (40) - gestation age(35)))
  
  
• in premature babies, development continues ex-utero as it would have if the pregnancy had gone to term. Correction for prematurity should be undertaken for the first year for moderate degrees of prematurity and for up to two years for babies born at less than 30 weeks

Reference:

• Pulse (2000), 60 (35), 80.