What is chronological age?

Chronological age is the time elapsed from actual birth date to the target date.

What is corrected age?

Corrected age adjusts chronological age by how many weeks early a preterm infant was born.

Document the age type required by your workflow and clearly note whether chronological or corrected age was used.

These two age measures serve different purposes. Choosing the wrong one can distort developmental interpretation for preterm infants.

Time elapsed since actual birth date.

Commonly used for legal and administrative timelines.

Chronological age adjusted for weeks born early.

Commonly used for developmental interpretation in early infancy.

Use chronological age for general records and eligibility dates.
Use corrected age when interpreting developmental milestones for preterm infants.
Document which age type is used in each report to avoid confusion.

Professional note: use your discipline guidelines when deciding age basis for interpretation and reporting.