WATERLOO - In a perfect world, Amillia Taylor, the Florida baby born at a record-low 22 weeks in the womb, will turn out much like Marissa Abbott.

Marissa, a fourth-grader from Waterloo, was born at 24 weeks, and weighed 1 pound, 7 ounces when she arrived 10 years ago on Feb. 11.

Her mother, Angie Abbott, said when she was born, doctors told her there was a chance she could be slow in math, reading or social skills. Marissa's chances of developing a learning disability were, in fact, a flip of the coin. The University of Southern California's Center for Premature Infant Health and Development estimates up to 50 percent of premature babies - those babies born before 37 weeks gestation - require special education assistance for learning disorders.

Marissa beat the odds. Her mother said she does well in school, and has no learning problems. In fact, Marissa said she loves to spell.

Marissa's teacher at St. Edward's Elementary, Mali Rushton, said she is like any other student in her class.

"She has a wonderful attitude about school, works hard and has a bubbly personality. Marissa especially enjoys language arts," she said.

Rhonda Flaherty, lead nurse for Covenant Medical Center's neonatal intensive care unit, said the first months of a premature baby's life is a roller coaster. Bleeding in the brain can occur because of fragile blood vessels. Even basics necessary for life, like eating and breathing, can be an immense challenge for a premature baby born as early as Marissa. She said one of the biggest dangers a baby born at 24 weeks faces is a respiratory infection, because the lungs and immune system are underdeveloped.

"Their whole body is immature, so everything is affected," she said.

As they grow older, Flaherty said premature babies often have trouble gaining weight, in addition to continuing to face respiratory and infection obstacles.

"Feeding is a big issue. Infections can pop up if you put things in their gut they can't handle because of an immature gastrointestinal tract," she said.

Like most premature babies, Marissa, who was due June 6, 1997, was four months behind in her physical development for the first few years of her life.

"She's not a big child anyway, so she was always tiny. When she first learned to walk people would make comments to us. They'd think she was 9 months old because she was so small, but she was really 14-16 months old," Angie Abbott said.

In addition to being behind in walking, she said rolling over, crawling and fine motor skills were things Marissa mastered several months later than normal. Marissa attended physical therapy for several months after birth to develop her stomach muscles, which help babies sit up.

"She started talking about three to four months behind - but she hasn't stopped since then," Angie Abbott said.

With so many of Marissa's early childhood milestones coming around her original summer due date, her mother said in many ways it's like Marissa has two birthdays. Angie Abbott always thinks of her first-born's original due date every year when the date rolls around. So does Marissa, who is known to light-heartedly complain about her lousy luck during her younger sister's birthday pool parties in July.

"Marissa is always mad because her birthday is in February and it was supposed to be in the summer too," Angie Abbott said.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.

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Once they survive, premature babies face a tough road.

12 to 32 percent of premature infants have cerebral palsy or mental retardation.

5 to 25 percent suffer visual impairments.

5 to 12 percent suffer hearing impairments.

20 to 30 percent suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

50 percent require special education assistance because of observed learning disorders.

Source: The Center for Premature Infant Health and Development, University of Southern California.