Will my premature baby talk late?

In premature babies, developmental assessment is always done based on corrected age. That is, the baby's expected birth date (40 weeks) not actual birth date is used as the reference.

In speech development, premature babies experiencing 2-3 months delay compared to same-age peers is generally considered normal when evaluated by corrected age. For example, a baby born at 32 weeks when calendar age is 12 months has a corrected age of about 9 months — the expected sound-making, babbling level at that time is also 9-month norms.

Comparing to calendar age can create a worrying picture, but most premature babies catch up to their corrected age by around 2-3 years.

Still, if by your child's corrected age:

• At 12-15 months there's no meaningful syllable/word
• At 18 months fewer than 10-15 words
• Hearing responses are weak (doesn't turn to sound, doesn't respond to name)
• Social communication skills aren't developing (eye contact, shared attention (pointing at something and looking at you))

Consulting a pediatrician or child development specialist is appropriate. Prematurity requires closer developmental follow-up but most early-born babies follow a healthy development course.