Does Premature Birth Impact Your Muscle Strength & Coordination in Older Years?

Not all preemies catch up by 2 yrs, and this has nothing to do with "catching up". Premature birth definately can have lasting/permanent effects on muscle strength and control. Ataxia (muscles too tight and rigid) and Dystonia (muscles too loose and weak) are two forms of muscle control conditions. Since you say this has been going on since you were very young, then yes, it is a possibility that it is connected with your premature birth, but there are hundreds of other possibilities as well. The only way to know is to talk with your doctor.

In the mean time, you can check out these sites. They have valuable information about preemies.

www.shareyourstory.org

www.marchofdimes.org

www.micropreemie.com

There is also a Yahoo! Group for preemies

Hope this helps!

I understand your concern and since you asked for personal advice I'll try to help you with this frustrating issue with your left hand. I checked out the site below which said within 2-5 years, pre-mies catch up.

So if that includes muscular development, then next keep in mind, we all have one dominant side and thus a weaker one too. I can tell a noticeable difference as well but was carried full-term. SO you might ask yourself, at some point did you misunderstand what premature baby meant, so you started looking for something about you to be wrong... No matter if we are right or wrong, what ever we tell ourselves is true, the subconscious mind will react in such a way to make us right. That's how smart we are... it doesn't question the conscious mind, it simply says, aye aye captain, and does what it's told. So first, start telling yourself before you sleep each night that ole lefty over there needs to catch up cause you've been expecting it to be weak but now you're expecting more of it... no more living in fear that this happened when you were a baby, consult a doctor of course before taking anyone's advise, and if he says you are normal as can be, then do the mental work and stop the deterioration you might be ordering without knowing it... does that make sense...

My favorite hand exercises are done with weights but done isometrically, (with your own muscles and strength providing the resistance so no injuries can really occur)

PICKING UP SAND... the slower you can learn to do this the BETTER... that will allow you to reach the tiniest of tiny muscles too so they may all work together when you need them for strength, esp. piano...

Okay first, extend both arms straight out in front of you about a foot or so apart, palms down and fingers straight. Starting with tips of fingers, roll them down, allow wrists to bend naturally... then when your fingers are pointing straight down...pretend to pick up some grains of sands by curling them inwards and up, then wrists unfold next, squeeze lightly into a fist position... and then bend the wrists backwards comfortably while next you unroll and extend your fingers pointing to the sky...

This is one fluid motion from start to finish. Focus on each inch of the movement making sure your going slowly enough to create elongated muscles. Of course, there is no need to do this forcefully, but yet do it gracefully and with rhythm. Start with 1-2 and add to the sets as you gain strength. I do three times a day. about ten each time. I do one hand at a time while driving usually, or standing in front of the bathroom mirror...remember do them gently, with more reps until they make the muscles burn for 1-2 reps, then break for a few minutes and go to next set... listen to your body's messages always, okay? try it for three weeks I have a feeling everything is going to get better with your southpaw from now on...

Hope that helps.. would love to know if it helps, or what you found that does...

My son was born 12 weeks prem & at 9yo was competing at elite level gymnastics, by 10 was with NSW Institute of sports development program (working toward Australian Olympic team). So I dont think prematurity has much to do with it.

More so what youre used to doing.Utilising your 'lazy' left side will strenghten muscle & stimulate right brain hemisphere connections to make it feel more natural. Most people do have a dominate, usually right limbs

Add:

Were it Ataxia or Dystonia it tends to be whole body not restricted to one side

My brother was 10 weeks early and has had no problems developing and that was like 1980. He is very active and healthy. He almost sawed off his leg (construction accident, it was really bad!) when he was almost 18 and still is very active and can walk just perfectly. So I don't really think that is the cause, but it could be from that or from something very different. It's kind of hard to say. Maybe it was from that rock and your hand just never healed correctly.

it has nothing to do with being premature! preemies catch up by the age of 2