Well Child Care 15 Months

Toddlers should eat small portions from all food groups: meats, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and cereals and grains. Your child should be learning to feed himself. He will use his fingers and maybe start using a spoon. This will be messy. Make sure you cut food into small pieces so that your child won’t choke. Children need healthy snacks like cheese, fruit, and vegetables. Do not use food as a reward. Your child should be served 2% milk until two years of age.

If your doctor has recommended Vitamin D supplementation continue to give your child Tri Vi Sol every day and make sure your child consumes 4 or more calcium servings per day.

By now, most toddlers should be using a cup only. If your child is still using a bottle, it will soon start to cause problems with his teeth and might cause ear infections. A child at this age will be sad to give up a bottle, so try to replace it with another treasured item – perhaps a teddy bear or blanket. Never let a child take a bottle to bed.

Toddlers are very curious and want to be the boss. This is normal. If they are safe, this is a time to let your child explore new things. As long as you are there to protect your child, let him satisfy his curiosity. Stuffed animals, toys for pounding, pots, pans, measuring cups, empty boxes, and Nerf balls are some examples of toys your child may enjoy. Toddlers may want to imitate what you are doing. Sweeping, dusting, or washing play dishes can be fun for children. Toddlers require 12-14 hours of sleep per night.

Toddlers start to have temper tantrums at about this age. You need patience. Trying to reason with or punish your child may actually make the tantrum last longer. It is best to make sure your toddler is in a safe place and then ignore the tantrum. You can best ignore by not looking directly at him and not speaking to him or about him to others when he can hear what you are saying. At a later time, find things that are praiseworthy about your child. Let him know that you notice good qualities and behaviors. It is not yet time to start time-outs.

Reading to your child should be a part of every day. Children that have books read to them learn more quickly. Choose books with interesting pictures and colors. Children at this age may ask to read the same book over and over. This repetition is a natural part of learning.

After meals and before bedtime, brush your toddler’s teeth.  If you use toothpaste be very stingy with it.  Fluoride supplementation is important to make teeth stronger and prevent decay.  If the water in your community is fluoridated you will not require an additional supplement.  If there is no fluoride in the water your doctor will recommend a fluoride supplement for your child.  Since your child is receiving fluoride in either the water or by supplement please do not use toothpaste that contains fluoride.

·         Keep plastic bags, balloons, and small hard objects out of reach.

·         Use only unbreakable toys without sharp edges or small parts that can come loose.

·         Cut foods into small pieces. Avoid foods on which a child might choke (popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs, chewing gum).

·         Keep lighters and matches out of reach.

·         Don’t let your child play near the stove.

·         Use the back burners on the stove with the pan handles out of reach.

·         Turn the water heater down to 120°F (50°C).

·         Hold onto your child when you are around traffic.

·         Supervise outside play areas.

·         Never leave an infant or toddler in a bathtub alone — NEVER.

·         Continuously watch your child around any water, including toilets and buckets. Keep lids of toilets down. Never leave water in an unattended bucket. Store buckets upside down.

·         Keep all medicines, vitamins, cleaning fluids, and other chemicals locked away.

·         Keep the POISON CONTROL number (1-800-222-1222) on all phones

·         Buy medicines in containers with safety caps.

·         Do not store poisons in drink bottles, glasses, or jars.

·         Children who live in a house where someone smokes have more respiratory infections. Their symptoms are also more severe and last longer than those of children who live in a smoke-free home.

·         If you smoke, set a quit date and stop. Ask your healthcare provider for help in quitting. If you cannot quit, do NOT smoke in the house or near children.

The virus that cause influenza (also called the flu) changes each year.  Children over 6 months of age should receive an annual flu vaccine starting in late September.

Your child may run a fever and be irritable for about 1 day and may have soreness, redness, and swelling in the area where the shots were given. You may give acetaminophen or ibuprofen drops in the appropriate dose to prevent fever and irritability. For swelling or soreness, put a wet, warm washcloth on the area of the shots as often and as long as needed to provide comfort.

Call your child’s healthcare provider if:

·         Your child has a rash or any reaction to the shots other than fever and mild irritability.

·         Your child has a fever that lasts more than 36 hours.