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Corrected Age for Preterm Babies

Treat 40 weeks as full term and subtract the weeks missed from the current age. Born at 32 weeks and now 20 weeks old means subtracting eight, for a corrected age of 12 weeks. Developmental milestones should be read against this figure.

Your numbers

Corrected age (wk)

12wk

Difference

8wk

Months

2.8mo

What it means

Corrected age is 12 weeks (about 2.8 months) — read milestones against this.

Formula

Corrected age (wk) = Weeks since birth − (40 − Gestation at birth)

Corrected age is generally used until about two years, after which the gap closes and actual age applies.

What to enter

InputDefaultAccepted range
Gestation at birth (wk)Gestational age at birth; 40 weeks is full term.3222 ~ 42
Weeks since birth (wk)How many weeks since birth.200 ~ 200

Step by step

FormulaCorrected age (wk) = Weeks since birth − (40 − Gestation at birth)
With the default numbersCorrected age (wk) = 20 − (40 − 32)
AnswerCorrected age (wk) = 12 wk

Quick reference table

Results when only Gestation at birth (wk) changes and everything else stays put.

Gestation at birth (wk)Corrected age (wk) (wk)Difference (wk)Months (mo)
222180.5
244160.9
321282.8
4222-25.1

What each result means

ResultAt default values
Corrected age (wk) (wk)Age with the missed weeks removed; read development against this.12
Difference (wk)The gap between two values — a quantity, not a rate.8
Months (mo)The period counted in months; a yearly rate gets divided by twelve.2.8

Common mistakes

Corrected age is generally used until about two years, after which the gap closes and actual age applies.

Glossary

Gestation at birth
Gestational age at birth; 40 weeks is full term.
Weeks since birth
How many weeks since birth.
Corrected age (wk)
Age with the missed weeks removed; read development against this.
Difference
The gap between two values — a quantity, not a rate.
Months
The period counted in months; a yearly rate gets divided by twelve.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How is Corrected Age for Preterm Babies calculated?

Corrected age (wk) = Weeks since birth − (40 − Gestation at birth) — Treat 40 weeks as full term and subtract the weeks missed from the current age. Born at 32 weeks and now 20 weeks old means subtracting eight, for a corrected age of 12 weeks. Developmental milestones should be read against this figure.

Q. Can you walk through an example?

With Gestation at birth 32wk, Weeks since birth 20wk, the answer is Corrected age (wk) 12wk.

Q. What do I need to enter?

Enter Gestation at birth, Weeks since birth. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.

Q. How much does the answer move if I change a number?

Changing only Gestation at birth (wk) moves the answer to Gestation at birth (wk) 22 → Corrected age (wk) (wk) 2 and Gestation at birth (wk) 42 → Corrected age (wk) (wk) 22. The table below lays out five steps.

Q. How are the numbers rounded?

Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.

Q. Anything to watch out for?

Corrected age is generally used until about two years, after which the gap closes and actual age applies.

Related calculators

These calculators help you understand health figures; they do not replace diagnosis or prescription. See a clinician if you have symptoms.