What could be the reason for his fingers staying closed?
— Bellevue A: Sometimes preemie babies take a longer time to do many of the things that full-term babies do. It may be that if the baby was still in the womb, his fingers would have remained closed until now as well. Some premature babies are at risk for muscle problems as they get older. Although it is difficult to know if the delayed opening of your baby’s fingers might indicate that he, too, might have muscle problems, he will need to be followed closely once he goes home by pediatricians and therapists.
