Well baby visit - twelve months

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Article Summary

Your baby will wriggle more and be more worried about being examined.

It's the 1-year checkup! Your baby will wriggle more and be more worried about being examined than ever before. Your GP's surgery no doubt has lots of interesting toys for children to play with, but don't be surprised if he wants to keep close to you when your doctor approaches. And although he may have tolerated the examination before, he'll be less appreciative now. Don't worry - it's expected.

Immunisations Your baby will be getting quite a few injections at this visit. Warning a baby this young about having injections doesn't help much, as his sense of time and his comprehension is limited. He'll pick up on any apprehension in your voice or manner. Be there to hold your baby, distracting him, if possible, with a song or a game. If you stay calm and supportive, your baby won't get so upset.

 Since he'll be getting several injections at this visit, consider giving your baby a little paracetamol for the pain.
 You have a choice about the chicken pox vaccine. Discuss this with your doctor.

At this visit, your GP will probably:

Weigh and measure your baby. His rate of growth will start to slow down now. Click here to see our growth chart.

 Give your baby his next stage of immunisations (probably DTP, Hib, polio, MMR and perhaps chicken pox).

 Answer any questions you may have about vitamins, supplements and your toddler's diet.

 Address any concerns about your baby's growth or weight.

 By the age of one year, he'll have about tripled his birth weight. Your baby will be growing more slowly, but steadily, in this second year.

 If your baby is too chubby, he may be drinking too much milk. Your GP will let you know if your baby's weight is out of proportion to his height and whether you should change what he's eating. Toddlers don't need "diets", just a healthier menu.

 Discuss juice, as many nutritional problems stem from a baby having become a juice addict.

Your GP will want to know:

Every baby is different and reaches developmental milestones at unique times. Even so, it's good to talk about your baby's individual development with your GP.

 Has your baby seen another general practitioner since the last visit? If so, why? What was the outcome of that visit, and was any medication or treatment prescribed?
 Does your baby have any teeth yet? If so, how many?
 Can he pull himself to a standing position and move away from whatever is supporting him? Can he get from one place to another in some way?
 Is he walking on his own or with his hand held?
 Can he say more than "Mama" and "Dada"? If so, what?
 Does he use nonsense words and listen to conversations? Can he imitate to some extent?
 Does he turn to the sound of his name and the names of familiar objects?
 Can he point with his finger at things he wants or at things he wants you to notice?
 Can he play games like "peekaboo" and "So Big", or do gestures to favourite songs?
 Can he play with objects using both hands working together?
 Can he feed himself with his hands or drink from a cup?
 Does he try to imitate familiar tasks like sweeping the floor or washing his face?
 Can he look for hidden objects?

Talk It Over

 Lead testing. This may be a mandatory or an optional blood test. Discuss possible lead exposures. Many doctors have a checklist to assess your child's risk of lead poisoning.

 Follow-up tests. If your baby had a previous hearing test or eye examination because of some special concern, remind your doctor. It may be a good time for follow-up tests.

 Contagious diseases. If someone in your household or in frequent contact with your baby has a serious infectious disease such as tuberculosis, hepatitis or meningitis, your baby may need to be tested.

 Recent illnesses, medications or emergencies. If your child is taking any medication or has visited casualty for any reason since the last visit, let your GP know. Take the records or medicine with you.

 Discipline. Your GP can help you with discipline, an issue on most parents' minds at this age. It's good to get some advice now because your toddler's behaviour is likely to get more challenging. Get everyone in the household in on this discussion with your GP, if possible.

 Family issues. If there's been a big change in your family, such as a new job or redundancy, a death, a divorce or anything that might be causing stress in the family, let your GP know. This will affect your baby, and you'll want to learn ways to help him deal with it.

Speak Up!

There may be some issues of special concern to you or your GP. Let your doctor know if your toddler:

 Can't or won't bear his weight on his legs.
 Has one or both eyes crossed, even some of the time.
 Doesn't use both hands equally.
 Doesn't use any real words, doesn't know his name, and/or doesn't babble or talk gibberish.
 Isn't crawling or moving forwards in some way.
 Doesn't seem curious, exuberant or happy most of the time, or doesn't look for social interaction with familiar people.
 Has no fear of strangers or anxiety at separations. (Fear and anxiety in these situations are normal at this age.)
 Doesn't point at things.
 Seems to have problems with his vision or hearing.
 Has lost an ability he had before.
 Is not feeding himself.
 Chokes or gags frequently, dribbles or has difficulty swallowing liquids.

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Category Tags:

Health

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Development

Article Tags:

weight

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milestones

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paediatrician

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immunizations

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checkup