Empowering Parents, Supporting Premature Babies: How Early Check-Ins Foster Healthy Development

Every baby’s journey is unique, but for families of premature infants, early development often looks and feels a little different. If your baby was born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, they’re considered “preterm” — and you’re not alone. Nearly 1 in 10 babies worldwide are born prematurely each year.

Premature babies, or preemies, haven’t had as much time to grow in the womb, so their first months outside are focused on catching up. Before mastering new skills, preemies must learn to regulate vital systems like breathing, heart rate, and body temperature — the foundation for future growth.

Understanding how to read your preemie’s cues, support their muscle tone, and track milestones using their corrected age can help you nurture healthy, steady development between healthcare visits.

1. They Communicate Differently as Newborns

From day one, babies use sounds, faces, and movements to tell us how they feel. But premature babies may not cry as loudly or as often as full-term newborns because their respiratory systems are still developing. That doesn’t mean they aren’t communicating — they simply “talk” in subtler ways.

Learning to recognize your baby’s body language can make a world of difference. Therapists often group preemie cues into Go, Slow, and Stop signals:

Go Cues

• Bright eyes
• Smooth movements
• Bringing hands to mouth
• Sticking out tongue



These cues often indicate your baby is ready to engage.

Reading these cues helps parents respond faster, strengthen bonding, and reduce stress for both baby and caregiver.

2. Premature Babies Often Have Lower Muscle Tone

Many preemies are born with low muscle tone (hypotonia), which can make their bodies feel softer or “floppy.” This occurs because the brain areas that control movement are still maturing.

Low tone can affect:

The good news is that with appropriate support, babies often make tremendous progress. Gentle tummy time, infant massage, positioning strategies, and guided play activities can all help strengthen muscles and improve coordination.

3. Preemie Positioning Looks More “Stretched”

Full-term babies spend their final weeks in the womb curled into a flexed position that supports future movement skills like rolling, crawling, and sitting.

This extended positioning is common and can improve through supportive handling techniques such as:

• Swaddling to encourage flexion and containment
• Side-lying play to bring hands and feet toward midline
• Short, supervised tummy time sessions to build strength and body awareness

These simple positioning changes can support comfort, coordination, and motor development during the first year.

4. Their Development May Progress at a Slower Pace

Because premature babies are focused on regulating essential systems first, skill development often follows a slightly different timeline.

This is why healthcare providers use corrected age when monitoring development.

Using corrected age helps create realistic expectations and provides a more accurate picture of your baby's progress.

Was Your Baby Born Early?

Understanding corrected age is one of the most important tools for tracking a preemie's development.

Corrected age allows families and providers to evaluate milestones based on when a baby was expected to be born rather than their actual birth date. This provides a more accurate understanding of developmental progress and helps guide expectations throughout the first year.

We encourage families to explore our Premature Babies educational resources to learn more about corrected age and developmental expectations for babies born early.

Between pediatric appointments, families of preemies and other high-risk infants often benefit from structured developmental check-ins with pediatric therapy specialists.

These visits can help:

• Monitor feeding, sleep, play, communication, and motor development
• Interpret cues, muscle tone, and state regulation
• Provide positioning, handling, and play ideas tailored to each baby
• Answer questions about milestones and corrected age
• Identify when additional PT, OT, SLP, or specialist input may be beneficial

These sessions are wellness-focused, coaching-style visits rather than formal evaluations.

They're ideal for parents who find themselves thinking:



"We just want someone to look at our baby and tell us what we should be working on."

We understand that every baby develops at their own pace, and we honor that individuality. Our team of pediatric specialists works closely with your family, providing expert guidance through engaging, developmentally appropriate interactions.

Every Baby's Journey Is Unique

Premature birth can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to navigate those early months alone.

With expert guidance, developmental monitoring, and personalized support, families can feel confident knowing they are helping their babies thrive during one of the most important periods of growth.

Whether your child was born early or you simply want reassurance about their development, our Guiding Growth Program is designed to provide the support, education, and peace of mind parents deserve.

Empower your parenting journey. Support your baby's growth with confidence.

Sources

1. HealthyChildren.org – Caring for a Premature Baby
   
2. Cleveland Clinic – Hypotonia in Babies
   
3. Child Neurology Foundation – Hypotonia
   
4. Ahmed et al., Journal of Pediatric Neurosciences, 2016
   
5. Vizzari et al., Pediatric Research, 2022