Well Child: 12th Month Checklist

FEEDING YOUR BABY: Begin feeding you baby whole cow’s milk. Skim and 2% are not appropriate for this age because they lack the fat needed for your baby’s growth and brain development. Offer your baby 16 – 24 ounces of whole milk per day in an age appropriate sippy cup or bottle. It is best for your baby to avoid juice and to be weaned from bottle-feeding by approximately 15 months of age or sooner. Offer foods high in iron such as meat, green vegetables, eggs, and iron-fortified cereal. Babies at this age can eat almost all foods if they are cooked and cut into small bites. Avoid shrimp, crab, lobster and peanuts until two years of age. Encourage three well-balanced meals and one to two healthy snacks evenly spaced throughout the day. Encourage use of a spoon even if it’s messy. It is normal for your baby to show less interest in food at this age. Also, your baby’s growth rate slows down at this age, so they may not be as hungry as usual.

SAFETY:

• Make sure your house is as “child proof” as possible.
• Keep the Poison Control number (1-800-222-1222) by your phone.
• Never induce vomiting unless instructed to do so.
• Avoid small, hard foods that can cause choking: nuts, popcorn, hot dogs, grapes and raw/hard vegetables.
• Inspect toys for small breakable parts.
• Beware of hazards associated with the stove and fires, as well sharp furniture edges against which your child might fall. Do not let pot handles stick out over the edge of the stove.
• Make sure electrical outlets are covered.
• Store dangerous and poisonous substances, such as medications and household cleaners, out of reach.
• Block stairways and avoid the use of walkers.
• Continue to use a rear-facing car seat. New recommendations state that babies are safest in the rear-facing position until 2 years of age.
• Never leave your child unattended!

DEVELOPMENT: Your baby is interested in exploring the environment, can pull to stand, and walk while holding on to furniture. Some babies are able to walk at this age. He should imitate speech, babble, and correctly use 1 – 3 words (such as mama, dada and bye-bye).

GENERAL: Brush your baby’s teeth at least once daily with water or fluoride free toothpaste. Introduce toys of different colors, shapes, textures and sizes. Encourage push and pull toys. Read books and sing songs with your baby. Play games like “peek-and-boo.” Praise your child for good behavior. Begin to set and enforce limits to undesirable behavior. Ask at your next visit for specific tips.

IMMUNIZATIONS: Varivax and Prevnar13 will be given today. Varivax helps to protect your baby against the chicken pox virus. Prevnar13 helps prevent diseases caused by the pneumococcus bacteria, such as pneumonia and other serious infections. All immunizations may cause mild discomfort, small bumps in your baby’s arms at the injection sites, irritability, and mild fever. You may also notice small knots in your baby’s thighs at the injection sites. There is no need to worry when this happens, and the age appropriate dose of infant acetaminophen (Tylenol®) suspension may be given every 4-6 hours or infant ibuprofen (Motrin®) drops every 6 hours as needed for fever.

RETURN TO OUR OFFICE AT 15 MONTHS FOR YOUR CHILD’S NEXT VISIT
(Click Here for 15 Month Checklist)

• Click here for a downloadable version for printing: (Downloadable PDF Link)