Corrected Age for Premature Babies | Parenting Hub
If your baby was born early, use corrected age — not birth age — to track growth and milestones until about age 2.
Corrected age subtracts the weeks of prematurity. It gives a fairer picture of growth and development.
How to work it out
Take your baby's actual age in weeks and subtract the number of weeks they were born early (40 weeks minus gestational age at birth).
Example: a 6-month-old born 8 weeks early has a corrected age of 4 months.
When to use it
- Plotting weight, length and head growth
- Looking at milestones like rolling, sitting and smiling
- Starting solids — based on corrected age and readiness signs
- Generally until about 2 years, then catch-up is usually complete
When to ask for advice
Your paediatrician or MCH nurse can help if your baby isn't tracking along their own curve or is missing corrected-age milestones.
When to seek help
- Any sudden change that worries you or feels off for your baby.
- Poor feeding, unusual sleepiness, or persistent irritability.
- Fever in a baby under 3 months, or any symptom that worsens quickly.
Common questions
When can I stop using corrected age?
Most teams stop adjusting around 2 years, when premature babies have usually caught up.