Baby's 15-Month Checkup: What to Expect
Your baby has now entered the toddler years, and you're in for quite a ride! By now, she may be walking, throwing, exploring everything, and expressing feelings -- including anger. Whew! This is a good time to talk to your pediatrician about safety, behavior, and discipline.
Here's what to expect at your toddler's 15-month checkup.
You Can Expect Your Pediatrician to:
- Weigh and measure your child
- Perform a physical exam of your child
- Give your child another dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, Hib vaccine, or pneumococcal vaccine, and in the fall or winter, a flu shot
- Catch up on any other vaccines that have been missed
As your child starts going on outings or to daycare, she will be exposed to many illnesses. Protect your child by getting the recommended vaccines.
Questions Your Pediatrician May Ask:
- How's your child's appetite?
- Is she eating a variety of foods?
- How many hours is your child sleeping, including naps?
Feeding Questions You May Have
- How can I encourage my child to try different foods?
- What foods are most nutritious for my child?
- Keep offering new foods. If your child doesn't like a food one week, she may love it the next. It takes many times for a child to like some foods, so don't give up! This is your window of opportunity to widen her palate.
- Small children like to imitate their parents. If your child sees you eating a variety of foods, she may do the same.
- Stick to mostly unprocessed foods such as fruits and vegetables. These provide great nutrition for your baby's growing brain and body.
- Whole grains are also a good source of nutrition.
- Keep cutting your child's food into small pieces.
Safety Questions You May Have
- How can I keep my child safe when she's moving full speed ahead?
- Is it too soon to start using sunscreen?
Beef up home safety with measures like these:
- Double-check that cords, choking hazards, and hard, sharp, or breakable objects are out of reach.
- Make sure all household cleaners and detergents are high up or in locked cabinets.
- Make sure all electrical sockets are covered.
- Keep the bathroom door closed and the toilet seat down.
To protect your child from getting too much sun:
- Try to stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Cover her up with a wide-brim hat and long sleeves and pants.
- Use a child's sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more that says "broad spectrum" on the label.