I have noticed a misconception among those who have seen Eric in person or in just his pictures. There is a tendency to think that Eric is a normal healthy baby and won't have any problems in the future...that now that he is home, he will be a normal 3 1/2 month old, only smaller. Unfortunately this is not the case. A preemie usually does not catch up to their peers until about 18 months or more. Usually a preemie will need physical (PT) and a occupational therapy (OT). The OT/PT areas of assessment are the oral, fine and large motor skills that Eric needs to develop.

They will also check for any delays and for cerebral palsy. Right now these are our biggest concerns. Even though Eric's brain hemorrhages were minor, they can still influence Eric's later growth and development. Micro-preemies such as Eric, are at high risk for CP. Research has shown that developmental problems can appear later, especially for micro-preemies and extremely low birth weight children. Just because a Eric has "caught up" now doesn't mean that he will not have any problems later.

It is bad enough that I couldn't be pregnant long enough and now I will have to watch my son struggle with tasks that other children don’t even blink at. It is another waiting game to see what other problems he might have to endure in the future. This is not to say that we will love Eric any less if he is considered less than perfect by society's norms. We think Eric is perfect and wonderful and nothing can lessen our love and delight for our precious miracle. He is our greatest joy and biggest inspiration. If anything we love him enough to not put our heads in the sand and pretend nothing is wrong or can go wrong. By being diligent in his care, we are increasing his chances at a more "normal" life.

Micro-preemies are considered "at-risk" children and we have accepted that Eric will be so for many years. We will be putting our son in OT/PT because there are subtle clues that we could miss, but that the therapists will recognize as potential issues. We are hoping that he continues to progress well, but in the event that they don't, we would like any issues to addressed as quickly as possible. It is reassuring that there are so many resources out there.

It is just one more thing to be aware of. It will not be an easy road at all times, but Cris and I were aware of this when the hospital asked us if we wanted them to resuscitate Eric when he was born. It may not always be easy, but it is always worth it.