Corrected Age

I've had some questions about corrected age versus birth age.  And, interestingly enough, it came up yesterday at the developmental clinic.  I wrote a post about it on our RLC blog, but I wanted to share an excerpt here, as to the importance of CA, even though we dont often use the term because of Bobby and Maya's developmental/birth age.

Because we have been so blessed with good health and no developmental delays, we dont adjust their ages for prematurity.  The state assessors that came told us that, developmentally, we didnt need to, and our pediatrician has told us that based on their sizes (they began life outside the womb at 2lbs13oz and 2lbs5oz, respectively, and are now almost 17lbs and 12lbs) and the passing of milestones on par with full term babies, it was unnecessary.  So we tend to "forget" corrected age.

But something that the NICU doctor we were talking to yesterday said really struck a cord in us.  In spite of their developmental ages and sizes being on par with 40 week babies, the clinic will always assess them via corrected age.  Because they are the brain age of a 361 day old baby.  Or, when you subtract 266 days for a full term pregnancy, the age of a 95 days-outside-the-womb baby: a 3 month old.  

It may not be initially clear, but this NICU doctor said what those of us in the pro-life community have been saying for years.  The womb matters.  Life in the womb matters.  It makes a difference.  A huge one.  As any preemie parent can tell you, watching your baby in the "mechanical womb" of the NICU is a life-altering experience.  By the grace of God, we are blessed with children that did just as well- or maybe even better- outside of my womb, as they did in it.  But their age- their "true" age- the age that the specialists weigh them against- is 361 days.  Their 174 days in the womb and (as of yesterday) their 187 days out of it.