What to Expect When Your Baby Is Born Early

Authors

• Maggie McKay
• Mariana Theodoro, Children's Mercy Kansas CityFollow
• Amy Knapitsch, Children's Mercy Kansas CityFollow

Files

Document Type

Podcast

Hosts

Maggie McKay

Featured Speaker

Mariana Theodoro, MD and Amy Knapitsch, MD

Length of Episode

10:22

Description

This episode walks families through the NICU stay and the first year at home, explaining common medical milestones and what truly matters for a premature baby’s growth and development. Guests: Amy Knapitsch, MD, director of the Neonatal Follow-Up Clinic with nearly 16 years in follow-up care, and Mariana Theodoro, MD, medical director of the Small Baby Unit at Children's Mercy. We cover the NICU experience, signs your baby is ready to go home, adjusted age for developmental milestones, feeding preemies and when to seek help — all key topics for parents of premature infants and newborns.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Publication Date

6-17-2026

Recommended Citation

McKay, Maggie; Theodoro, Mariana; and Knapitsch, Amy, "What to Expect When Your Baby Is Born Early" (2026). Parent-ish Podcast. 26.
https://scholarlyexchange.childrensmercy.org/parent-ish_podcast/26