Well Check-Up / 15 Months
FEEDING
Your child should be consuming 2-3 servings of dairy products or 16-24 ounces of milk each day for optimal calcium intake. Whole or 2% milk is best (or a high-fat form of non-dairy milk if necessary). More than 24 ounces of milk can actually cause children to eat poorly if their stomachs are too full of milk and can put them at risk for anemia (low iron). If your child does not like milk, other options for calcium intake are yogurt, cheese, or orange juice with calcium. At this age, children should be taking all their liquids in a cup and not a bottle. If your child likes to carry around a cup to drink during the day between meals, fill the cup with water instead of milk or juice. Toddlers do not need fruit juice and should not have more than 4-6 ounces of 100% fruit juice each day. Children of this age should be eating mostly table foods, but be careful with foods they can choke on, including anything that is hard or in large pieces. Cut meat and uncooked fruits and vegetables into very small pieces, and be especially careful with the most-commonly choked on foods—whole grapes, carrots, hard candy, nuts, and hot dogs. A drop in appetite after 12 months is normal, because babies’ growth rates slow after 1 year. Many toddlers also become pickier about what they eat and may have some days when they seem to eat very little. Try for at least one good meal each day with several healthy snacks.
FEVER/ILLNESS
At this age, fever is defined as a rectal temperature greater than 101. If your baby is going to be in daycare or around large groups of children, we expect that he or she will get as many as 1-2 colds or viral illnesses each month. Cold viruses usually cause nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, decreased appetite, and often fever. Most cold viruses last up to 10 days, but the fever should not last more than 3-5 days. If your baby has cold symptoms that last longer than 10 days, fever that lasts longer than 3-5 days, or high fever associated with not drinking or sleeping or extreme fussiness, it is a good idea to call the office. Good handwashing is still the best way to prevent the spread of germs.
DEVELOPMENT
Common milestones at 15 months include walking alone, stacking 2-4 blocks, and drinking well from a cup. Most 15 month olds can say 3-10 words, although they usually understand much more than this. In the next few months, your child will likely learn to use a spoon and to point to several body parts, and his vocabulary will grow quickly. Continue to talk and sing with your child often and read books together. Reading remains the most important activity to stimulate language development and build the foundation for good school performance later!
BEHAVIOR/DISCIPLINE
At this age, some toddlers may begin to have temper tantrums, which are usually a sign of frustration or a cry for attention. Whenever possible try to ignore bad behavior and praise good behavior. If your child has a tantrum at your house, try to leave the room and return only when he or she is quiet. If this happens in public, it can be difficult to follow this plan, but picking up your child and leaving together is often the best remedy. Make rules very simple, so your child learns what is expected. Time-outs are often not very effective until children are at least 18-24 months old.
DENTAL CARE
At this age, it is very important regularly to clean your child’s teeth at bedtime using a very small amount (the size of a grain of rice) of toothpaste with fluoride. Even if your child wants to help brush his own teeth, it is important for you to go over all the teeth, especially the back teeth, to make sure all are cleaned. This is a good age to visit the dentist for the first time if you have not already been there!
SAFETY
Your baby should continue to ride in a rear-facing car seat until she is at least 2 years old or until she reaches the maximum weight or height for your car seat. Continue to use gates at the top and bottom of stairways until your child is able safely to go up and down stairs. Children at this age are becoming more mobile and more curious, so be careful not to leave chairs or other furniture in a place where you child could climb up and get onto counters or into cabinets. Even at this age, never leave your child unattended in a bath or near any water, and do not leave cups or containers of hot liquids when he could reach them. Check smoke detectors regularly and change the batteries twice a year. Protect your child from sun by using sun-protective clothing and sunscreen with at least SPF 30 on exposed skin. Even better is to avoid the sun between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. It is still important to make sure that all cabinets and drawers are childproofed and all chemicals and medicines are locked away. If your child ever accidentally swallows anything that might be dangerous (such as cleaning supplies, chemicals, or medications) do not give anything else by mouth and call Poison Control immediately. POISON CONTROL 1-800-222-1222