Adjusted age question

At what week gestation is 'adjusted age' no longer used? I ask b/c I see many people refer to the adjusted age of their babies and sometimes even when they are 3or 4 weeks early (born 37 or 36 weeks) yet I have never considered mine any age but their actual age based upon their birthdate rather than due date. Thanks!

 

My boys were born at 35 weeks 6 days, so just about weeks early...I should still be preggers lol We do not sure adjusted age. I asked their pediatrician about it and he said no not to use it. I didn't question why, just happy not to have to worry about it, seems it would get a bit confusing.

Dianna

 

I had almost 38 weekers, I did notice in teh very beginning they seemed to do things 2 weeks behind (i.e. peak of fussiness was 8 weeks vs. 6, the magic 12 week mark happened at 14 weeks for us), but now they seem like any other 6 month old and we don't give adjusted age a second thought.

 

QUOTE(xavier2001 @ Mar 26 2008, 03:32 PM) [snapback]688601[/snapback]
I had almost 38 weekers, I did notice in teh very beginning they seemed to do things 2 weeks behind (i.e. peak of fussiness was 8 weeks vs. 6, the magic 12 week mark happened at 14 weeks for us), but now they seem like any other 6 month old and we don't give adjusted age a second thought.

I was too sleepy to even take notice

 

Mine were born at 36 w 4 days...I felt that they were more "behind" in the beginning, but now they seem to be at the right place. If I read something and think that they are a little behind, I don't sweat it anyway...things that they "should" be doing can only be predicted by approximate age anyway. Every baby is different.

I find I have this opinion because I went through a panic with my first everytime I read that she was supposed to be doing something specific by a specific age and she wasn't doing it. She was born at 38 weeks. My pedi at the time (I've since switched) used to freak us out everytime we brought her into her appt; "She should be clapping by now" I remember him saying... One appt she was "overweight" and he started to lecture us on the obesity epidemic, the next appt she was underweight and he would tell us to put butter on her food. HE was horrible!!

 

My boys were born at 30 weeks so I still go by adjusted age.

 

Mine were born 5 1/2 weeks early, but I just always refer to them as their age based on their bday, too. If they are behind developmentally on something or someone comments that they are small, I may mention that they were 34 1/2 weekers ... but other than that, I just say they are 8 1/2 months old. My Ped says that she still considers them preemies but just b/c of their size and that developmentally, she doesn't consider them preemies anymore. Maybe it is child-dependent?

 

Mine were 8 weeks early. We always refer to them as their actual age but we give them 2 more months for development milestones. So for example sitting generally is about 6 months so for ours it would be 8 months as a median. They have really never been too far behind and we just had our 15 month appt and they are doing everything a full term 15 month old should be doing. But you can adjust for their age up until age 2 or 3 if need be. Even a 36 week old baby is missing the last month of developing in the womb. So for some there are still 4 weeks to make up at some point and for others its not an issue.

 

I'd use adjusted age for everything even for 37 week babies. Every week makes such a huge difference, and it's not like being born early makes them fast-forward several weeks developmentally.

It's not confusing at all - just pretend they were born on their due date, and you're all set.

I asked EI how long it typically takes babies to catch up, and they said there was a recent study that concluded that "late" preemies (in the 35 wk range) generally take until about age 2-3 to catch up, and early preemies (in the 20's) can take up to age 5-6.

 

Mine were born 4 weeks early and I never go by their adjusted age. I just keep it in the back of my mind that if they are a little slower at doing something it is because they are preemies, but I always go by their actual age.

 

Mine are 36 weekers...to the day. I use adjusted age when thinking in terms of milestones, sleep issues etc. It's super important to keep it in mind - it's saved my sanity a few times. Plus, all the things they are "supposed" to do or we are watching for generally happen in the adjusted week rather than the actual.

 

QUOTE(fuchsiagroan @ Mar 26 2008, 06:40 PM) [snapback]689037[/snapback]
I'd use adjusted age for everything even for 37 week babies. Every week makes such a huge difference, and it's not like being born early makes them fast-forward several weeks developmentally.

It's not confusing at all - just pretend they were born on their due date, and you're all set.

I asked EI how long it typically takes babies to catch up, and they said there was a recent study that concluded that "late" preemies (in the 35 wk range) generally take until about age 2-3 to catch up, and early preemies (in the 20's) can take up to age 5-6.



YES!! We have had this very same discussion in the past and I think we came to the conclusion that JUST BECAUSE baby was born-- doesn't make them older....

The baby cannot possibly be any older than the date of conception. Outside of womb or in-- that baby is the same age..

You technically need to adjust just because it's fact.

You are supposed to ADJUST until nothing matters anymore.. so like age 3 or whenever so that when they're that old-- a few weeks don't matter.. See what I am saying?? When they are this young.. every DAY counts!!!! You cannot rob the child of time because he/she was born early.

Anyway, I have 35 weekers and I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS adjust because I know the day I got pregnant and I know that is how OLD they are no matter what...

So... the absolute bottom line is-- baby is only as old as day of conception... no older, no younger..

You can always decide what you tell people of course and I tell people that mine are 6 months old but when comparing them to my best friends son who is 4 weeks by dates and 10 wks older (adjusted) there is a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference so I always say... "BUT.. he is 10 weeks older!!" and someone will say.. "No, he's only 4 wks older..." and my reply is .. "Well, not really.. mine were five weeks early and hers was one week LATE and she was five weeks AHEAD of me.. so.. 10 weeks is the AGE gap!!! Any way you slice it!"

I think we've all seen how many things our kiddos can learn in ONE day.. it doesn't make sense for me to "take" five weeks away from them just because I had them early!!

 

My girls were 8 weeks early and I do not use the adjusted age - we never did. They were born small but caugt up in weight by 6 - 9 months. They were alittle behind the development milestones but never out of the range.

I consider them 23 months old - not 21 months.

 

Developementally my DS are on target so I don't adjust for their age. But they are so small that if the ped didn't adjust for their prematurity they would be considered Failure to Thrive babies (well, they may be that anyways). So for us adjusted age does matter even if they were only 6 wks and 1 day early. That's an awfully long time to have a baby growing in you. My babies could have really used that time. They wouldn't have ended themselves in the NICU either.

 

My babies were born at 38 + 2 and people are always asking me their adjusted age. I tell them that my boys were born full term, so we don't adjust their age. I've also noticed that the specialist Joel is seeing for his plagiocephaly refers to him as a preemie sometimes, and I have to remind her that he is full term!!!

I don't know, maybe I should start adjusting their age?

 

My 33 weekers are finally catching up in size, but I use their adjusted age for milestones. When people ask how old they are I used to say "They are __ months, but they were born 7 weeks early so they are small". Now people don't think they are small for 6 months, so I've shortened my answer.

 

QUOTE(Lynner405 @ Mar 27 2008, 03:19 AM) [snapback]689458[/snapback]
Mine were born 4 weeks early and I never go by their adjusted age. I just keep it in the back of my mind that if they are a little slower at doing something it is because they are preemies, but I always go by their actual age.


ditto!

 

My boys are 30 weekers and NO longer does adjusting matter.