Diet:
- You can change your child to whole milk now instead of formula. Your child should get about 16-24 ounces (2-3 cups) of whole milk per day.
- Children are usually eating mostly table food (instead of baby food) by this age.
- Juice is optional. Your baby does not need juice. If you give juice, give no more than 4 ounces a day. Give juice only in the cup, not the bottle.
- If you are still breastfeeding, you may continue to do so. Breastfed babies should take a vitamin supplement for as long as they are breastfeeding, either Tri-Vi-Sol with iron or Poly-Vi-Sol with iron, 1 ml (one dropper) daily.
Sippy Cup:
- Your child should be using a sippy cup instead of a bottle now.
- Finish weaning your child off the bottle soon.
Car Seat:
- Your child should continue to ride in a car seat facing backwards in the back seat of the car until 2 years old.
Safety:
- Continue home childproofing: electrical outlet covers, poison prevention, choking prevention, drowning prevention.
Development:
- Normal development for children between 1 year and 15 months of age:
- Says “dada”, “mama”, and a few other words (3-5 words)
- Understands simple commands
- Walking. Feeds self with hands, experiments with using spoon
Guidance:
- Language development: Read to your child everyday, point to pictures in books. Talk a lot to your child. Teach body parts, animal names and sounds.
- Brush your child’s teeth with a toothbrush and either water or baby tooth and gum cleaner (without fluoride).
- Protect your child from the sun. Use sunscreen SPF 30 or higher, with UVA and UVB protection.
Flu Vaccine:
- Flu vaccines are available every fall for all children 6 months and older
- The first year that young children get the flu vaccine, they need two doses given at least one month apart to be protected.
Next Checkup: In 3 months when your child is 15 months old
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