CW: Premature Birth
November is Prematurity Awareness Month. Every year, more than 10% of all babies born around the world are born prematurely, before 37 weeks. Birth weight was the primary indicator of prematurity until the 1990s. However, over the past few decades, gestational age has been identified as the main predictor of the physical and neurological development of premature babies.
The United States received a D+ on last year’s March of Dimes Report Card, its fourth straight year at this historically low grade for premature birth. Being born prematurely can affect someone long after infancy, sometimes leading to lifelong health and developmental challenges. For people like me, those effects can continue to shape everyday life in ways that others may not always see.
I was born prematurely in Kolkata, India, in 1999. For me, cerebral palsy was the result of a lack of oxygen to my brain during birth. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies born very prematurely face a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy.
Prematurity and cerebral palsy have also affected my visual processing skills. I struggle with depth perception and spatial awareness, so I often need extra time to understand where my body is in relation to my surroundings.
This part of my disability can be difficult for other people to see. If someone watches me walk into a crowded room, they may notice my cerebral palsy, but they won’t notice everything else happening in my brain. I am watching where people are going, judging how far away an object might be, and noticing what is in my path. I am figuring out how much room I have to move.
Over the years, I have gotten used to navigating the world. Still, there are times when I am reminded that my eyes and brain do not always process a space as quickly or effortlessly as someone else’s might.
I notice it when I read, too. Following words across a page takes concentration, especially when my brain is already tired. In unfamiliar places, I often need a moment to take in the room before I know how I want to move through it. These pauses might look insignificant from the outside. To me, they are familiar.
I’ve lived with cerebral palsy my entire life, so I don’t spend every day thinking about myself in medical terms. I read and write. I navigate crowded spaces. I find my way through unfamiliar buildings. I have learned what works for me.
But prematurity is still there, quietly woven into those ordinary moments. More than two decades have passed since I was a premature baby in Kolkata. I don’t remember that time, but I carry pieces of that beginning whenever I take a step, track movement across a room, or pause to make sense of an unfamiliar place.
Statistics can tell us how many babies are born early and what risks they may face. What they cannot fully capture is what happens when one of those babies grows up and experiences life. Being born prematurely is not just part of my story. It became part of how I have learned to see the world.
Sources:
Hafström, Maria, et al. “Cerebral Palsy in Extremely Preterm Infants.” Pediatrics, vol. 141, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2018, https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/141/1/e20171433.
Rosell, Cristina. “Could Light Reveal Preterm Birth Risk?” FIU News, Florida International University, 10 Nov. 2026, https://news.fiu.edu/2026/could-light-reveal-preterm-birth-risk.
Solomon, Lori. “U.S. Faces Continuing Maternal and Infant Health Crisis.” HealthDay, 25 Nov. 2025, https://www.healthday.com/healthpro-news/child-health/us-faces-continuing-maternal-and-infant-health-crisis.