Preterm babies are born before they are supposed to be. Being born early means that they have not had the opportunity for full brain development before birth. In the early months after birth their milestones may be a little behind when compared to babies born full term. The team looking after your baby in the neonatal unit and after they go home follow your baby’s development based on their corrected age.

This section will help you to take an active role in your baby’s development. It outlines the key areas for you to focus on with guidelines to develop your baby’s growth; sensory development; playtime and positioning; communication and language skills; cognitive/intellectual development; fine and gross motor skills; attention and memory skills.