An infant is being discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)after 70 days of hospitalization.The infant was born at 30 weeks of gestation with several conditions associated with prematurity,including respiratory distress syndrome,mild bronchopulmonary dysplasia,and retinopathy of prematurity requiring surgical treatment.During discharge teaching the infant's mother asks the nurse if her baby will meet developmental milestones on time,as did her son who was born at term.The nurse's most appropriate response is:

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The age of a preterm newborn is corrected by adding the gestational age and the postnatal age.The infant's responses are accordingly evaluated against the norm expected for the corrected age of the infant.Although it is impossible to predict with complete accuracy the growth and development potential of each preterm infant,certain measurable factors predict normal growth and development.The preterm infant experiences catch-up body growth during the first 2 to 3 years of life.Development needs to be evaluated over time.The growth and developmental milestones are corrected for gestational age until the child is approximately 2 1/2 years old.

An Infant Is Being Discharged from the Neonatal Intensive Care