Being born prematurely has many immediate consequences for infants – difficulty breathing, bleeding in the brain, and other issues that can affect long-term development. So if being born preterm affects young children post infancy, does it still affect people as they near adolescence?
Jacob Allred was born extremely premature at 25 weeks and 5 days weighing just one pound, 13 ounces. He is now 12 years old, and still struggles with health issues both physical and developmental that are a result of his premature birth.
His parents, Carolyn and Vince, have been on the “roller coaster” of prematurity since the day Jacob was born - one step forward followed by five steps back. They are being constantly surprised by new issues that arise, but, at 12, things are going well and they are all looking forward to Jake’s future.