Premature birth can lead to long-term intellectual and developmental disabilities for babies. These are problems with how the brain works. They can cause a person to have trouble or delays in: Physical development.

Are premature babies developmentally delayed?

Most premature babies develop normal language, but their language development might be delayed. They might have more trouble speaking and understanding what's said to them, compared to full-term children. Language problems can also sometimes be an early sign of hearing, thinking or learning problems.

What developmental problems do premature babies have?

Preterm babies can suffer lifelong effects such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, visual and hearing impairments, and poor health and growth. Babies born only a few weeks early (late preterm, 34-36 weeks) often have long-term difficulties such as: Behavioral and social-emotional problems. Learning difficulties.