Should premature baby milestones use corrected age?

For early developmental conversations, use the milestone row that matches corrected age rather than birthday age. The appropriate approach can vary by child and domain, so discuss concerns with the child’s clinician.

Are these premature baby milestones a developmental screen?

No. These CDC/AAP surveillance prompts are conversation guides and do not diagnose, screen, score, or replace assessment by a clinician.

Premature Baby Milestones Chart, Corrected Age

Premature baby milestones chart, by corrected age

Standard milestone charts are indexed to the birthday. For a baby born at 29 weeks, that is the wrong column for the first two to three years. Here is the same CDC/AAP list, re-indexed — and it prints cleanly for the fridge or the next clinic visit.

Use the corrected age calculator first, then read the row that matches the corrected number. A 9-month-old born at 28 weeks is a 6-month-old corrected, and 6 months is the row you should be reading.

If you want to check the arithmetic first, follow the corrected-age worked examples. For the source list and limitations, see the methodology page.

This is especially important for babies born only a few weeks early. The late preterm baby guide explains why a 35- or 36-week baby can still shift rows in the first year, and the adjusted age vs chronological age guideshows when milestones use one age while vaccines use another.

These are surveillance prompts, taken from the CDC's developmental milestone lists — the behaviours about 75% of children show by that age. That milestone set was itself rebuilt from an evidence review published in Pediatrics in 2022. They are not a developmental screen and they do not produce a score. Their purpose is to give you specific things to raise at the next visit.

Developmental surveillance prompts by corrected age, 2 to 36 months, one column per domain: Social/Emotional, Language, Cognitive and Movement.
Corrected age	Social/Emotional	Language	Cognitive	Movement
2 months corrected	Calms down when spoken to or picked up Looks at your face Smiles when you talk to or smile at them	Makes sounds other than crying Reacts to loud sounds	Watches you as you move	Holds head up when on tummy Moves both arms and both legs
4 months corrected	Smiles on their own to get your attention Chuckles when you try to make them laugh	Makes cooing sounds like oooo, aahh Turns head towards the sound of your voice	Opens mouth when they see the breast or bottle	Holds head steady without support when held Brings hands to mouth Pushes up on elbows when on tummy
6 months corrected	Knows familiar people Likes to look at self in a mirror	Takes turns making sounds with you Blows raspberries	Puts things in their mouth to explore them	Rolls from tummy to back Pushes up with straight arms on tummy Leans on hands for support when sitting
9 months corrected	Is shy, clingy or fearful around strangers Reacts when you leave	Makes different sounds like mamamama, babababa	Looks for objects when dropped out of sight	Gets to a sitting position without help Sits without support Moves things from one hand to the other
12 months corrected	Plays games with you, like pat-a-cake	Waves bye-bye Calls a parent mama, dada or another special name	Puts something in a container	Pulls up to stand Walks holding on to furniture Picks things up between thumb and finger
15 months corrected	Claps when excited Shows you an object they like	Tries to say one or two words besides mama or dada	Tries to use things the right way, like a cup or phone	Takes a few steps on their own Uses fingers to feed themselves
18 months corrected	Moves away from you but looks to make sure you are close Points to show you something interesting	Tries to say three or more words besides mama or dada Follows one-step directions without gestures	Scribbles	Walks without holding on to anyone Drinks from a cup without a lid, with some spilling
24 months corrected	Notices when others are hurt or upset	Says at least two words together, like more milk Points to at least two body parts when asked	Uses switches, knobs or buttons on a toy	Kicks a ball Runs Walks up a few stairs with or without help
30 months corrected	Plays next to other children, sometimes with them	Says about 50 words Names things in a book when you point and ask	Shows simple problem solving, like standing on a stool to reach	Twists things with their hands, like a lid Jumps off the ground with both feet
36 months corrected	Calms within 10 minutes after you leave, at childcare for example	Talks with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges Says their first name when asked	Draws a circle when you show them how	Strings items together, like large beads Puts on some clothes by themselves

Corrected age

Social/Emotional

Language

Cognitive

Movement

2 months corrected

Calms down when spoken to or picked up
Looks at your face
Smiles when you talk to or smile at them

Makes sounds other than crying
Reacts to loud sounds

Watches you as you move

Holds head up when on tummy
Moves both arms and both legs

4 months corrected

Smiles on their own to get your attention
Chuckles when you try to make them laugh

Makes cooing sounds like oooo, aahh
Turns head towards the sound of your voice

Opens mouth when they see the breast or bottle

Holds head steady without support when held
Brings hands to mouth
Pushes up on elbows when on tummy

6 months corrected

Knows familiar people
Likes to look at self in a mirror

Takes turns making sounds with you
Blows raspberries

Puts things in their mouth to explore them

Rolls from tummy to back
Pushes up with straight arms on tummy
Leans on hands for support when sitting

9 months corrected

Is shy, clingy or fearful around strangers
Reacts when you leave

Makes different sounds like mamamama, babababa

Looks for objects when dropped out of sight

Gets to a sitting position without help
Sits without support
Moves things from one hand to the other

12 months corrected

Plays games with you, like pat-a-cake

Waves bye-bye
Calls a parent mama, dada or another special name

Puts something in a container

Pulls up to stand
Walks holding on to furniture
Picks things up between thumb and finger

15 months corrected

Claps when excited
Shows you an object they like

Tries to say one or two words besides mama or dada

Tries to use things the right way, like a cup or phone

Takes a few steps on their own
Uses fingers to feed themselves

18 months corrected

Moves away from you but looks to make sure you are close
Points to show you something interesting

Tries to say three or more words besides mama or dada
Follows one-step directions without gestures

Scribbles

Walks without holding on to anyone
Drinks from a cup without a lid, with some spilling

24 months corrected

Notices when others are hurt or upset

Says at least two words together, like more milk
Points to at least two body parts when asked

Uses switches, knobs or buttons on a toy

Kicks a ball
Runs
Walks up a few stairs with or without help

30 months corrected

Plays next to other children, sometimes with them

Says about 50 words
Names things in a book when you point and ask

Shows simple problem solving, like standing on a stool to reach

Twists things with their hands, like a lid
Jumps off the ground with both feet

36 months corrected

Calms within 10 minutes after you leave, at childcare for example

Talks with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges
Says their first name when asked

Draws a circle when you show them how

Strings items together, like large beads
Puts on some clothes by themselves

Preemies do not catch up on a schedule

Catch-up is uneven by design. Head growth usually recovers first, then weight, then length. Gross motor skills often lag the longest in babies who spent weeks on respiratory support, and language can look delayed until hearing is confirmed. A baby who is behind in one domain and on track in three is a very different situation from a baby who is behind in all four — and that distinction is what your paediatrician is for.

What is never normal, at any age, corrected or not, is losing a skill the baby previously had. See when to call the doctor.

Feeding skills follow the same corrected-age logic. If parents are asking whether interest in food means it is time to start weaning, read when a preemie can start solids.

These lists are conversation prompts, not a diagnosis or developmental screen. Read when corrected-age use usually stops and speak with your child’s clinician if you are concerned.

Premature baby milestones chart, by corrected age

Milestones by corrected age, 2 to 36 months

Preemies do not catch up on a schedule

Use the chart with the rest of the follow-up toolkit

Corrected age calculator

Adjusted age calculator

Adjusted age vs chronological age

Late preterm baby guide

When can my preemie start solids?

How to calculate corrected age

When to stop correcting

Preemie red flags