Well Baby Report: 15 Month

What to expect at your 15-month visit
Topics you and your doctor may discuss at the 15-month visit include.

• Immunizations.
• Feeding concerns.
• Sleeping patterns. Your child should be falling asleep more easily and may begin taking one long nap instead of two naps.
• Potty issues. Because your child’s bladder is growing, he/she will stay dryer for a longer period of time. Have your child get comfortable with sitting on a potty chair. Don’t expect success too early. It may take them a while to get used to the potty. Putting too much pressure on your child may confuse him/her.
• Safety concerns. Your child is very mobile but still has little control over his/her behavior and has poor depth perception.

• DTP series (#4) (12-18 months)
• HBV Hepatitis B virus(#3) (6-18 months)
• Chicken pox (Varicella Zoster) (12-18 months)
• Polio vaccine (#3) (6-18 months)
• Hib (#4) (12-15 months)
• Pneumococcal 7 –valent (booster) (optional)

Today’s Report For Your 15-Month-Old Infant

Child’s name  

Examined by Dr.  

Weight  

%

Length  

%

Head  

%

Hepatitis B (#3)

Chickenpox (#1)

Polio vaccine (#3)

DTP series (#4)

Pneumococcal

7-valent

Hib

(#4)

Feeding your 15-month-old infant. Tips on toddlers eating behavior include:

• Your child’s growth rate will begin to slow down, so do not be concerned if his/her appetite begins to lessen or his/her need for food decreases.
• Due to emotional development, compiled with a toddler’s shortened attention span and newly discovered decision-making ability (the word "NO" has now entered his vocabulary), your child may refuse to eat certain foods or anything at all to show his/her power or independence.

• Milk -- about 16 to 24 ounces of whole milk per day
• Juice -- about 4 ounces a day is adequate
• Water
• Remember, your job is to choose the best food for your baby, offer regular meals and snacks, and make feeding time happy. Let your child decide how much and when to eat. Your child will know when he/she is hungry!

Developmental milestones
Keep in mind that children develop at their own pace. These milestones are common to infants at this age, but it is completely normal for your child to reach some milestones quickly and others at a slower rate.

• Imitates -- He/she may show interest in dusting, sweeping or other household chores.
• Imagination is developing; pretend play begins.
• The ability to self-comfort is established. Your child may have a favorite blanket or toy.
• Language skills are being acquired. Your child listens to stories.
• Strong food preferences emerge.
• The child no longer needs a bottle and may show interest in potty training.
• He/she uses two-word phrases.
• He/she follows simple directions.
• He/she uses a spoon and cup.

The temper tantrum: How to respond when the "storm" hits...
Run for cover? Wait it out? Fight back? The best thing you can do when tantrums occur (and they will occur) is to teach your child that tantrums do not work and will not change your mind. Be consistent, it may be exhausting, but your child needs to understand that although anger is normal, he or she needs to keep it under control and learn to channel it appropriately.

Tips for managing tantrums:

• Support and help children having frustration- or fatigue-related tantrums.
• Require cooperation with important rules. Be consistent.
• Ignore attention-seeking or demanding behavior type tantrums.
• Physically remove (gently) children having refusal type tantrums.
• Use "time-out" techniques for disruptive-type tantrums.
• Hold children who are having harmful, rage-type tantrums. Gently hold the child and tell him or her that you understand he or she is angry. Remain calm. Offer your child your sense of control and safety. When the child’s body begins to relax (usually after 1 to 3 minutes), lessen your hold on the child. This type of comforting is rarely needed after the child is 3 years or older.

• Always use gates to block stairs, and lock or put safety bars on upper-story windows.
• Car seats are still necessary.
• Be on your guard for falls. Children love to be little mountain climbers and will scale anything in their paths.
• Poison-proof the home, paying special attention to cabinets at child level. Never store toxic substances in bottles or jars that can be mistaken for food products.
• In the event your child ingests a potentially harmful substance, keep the container and call the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.
• Avoid giving your child raw carrots, unpeeled apples, nuts, hard candies and other foods that present a choking hazard. Better choices are ripe avocado, mashed potatoes, tomatoes, crackers, and peeled or cooked fruit cut into bite-size wedges.
• Make sure that electric wire outlets and appliances are inaccessible or protected. Put plastic plugs in electrical outlets, and install safety locks on cabinets and drawers. Keep plastic bags out of reach.
• If there is a swimming pool in your neighborhood, make sure it is surrounded by a tall four-sided fence and has a gate that latches or locks. Never leave water in a bucket or tub.
• When outside, keep your toddler away from moving machinery, lawn mowers, overhead garage doors, driveways, and streets. Put sunscreen on your child before he or she goes out to play.

• Read short simple stories
• Provide books with cardboard pages and simple, colorful pictures
• A kiddie car will help develop gross motor skills
• Give him/her paper and crayons
• Try finger paints
• Give him/her puzzles with 2 to 5 large pieces
• He/she may like a soft cuddly doll or stuffed animal
• Give him/her large wooden or plastic blocks
• Place a mobile with parts visible from your baby’s position

When should I call the doctor?
Call your doctor if your toddler:

• Becomes sluggish or inactive
• Will not eat
• Coughs
• Develops an unusual rash (not prickly heat or diaper rash)
• Has a fever at any age
• Vomits repeatedly
• Has frequent loose, watery bowel movements
• Breathes rapidly, wheezes or has any difficulty breathing

Before you call your physician or nurse, write down your child’s symptoms. Take his/her temperature. Have your pharmacy’s phone number on-hand to tell the doctor. Keep a notepad on hand to write down any instructions.