12-month-old: Physical, motor, cognitive and emotional development

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Truong Thanh Tam - Pediatrician - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.
Coming soon to your baby's 1st birthday, while a year ago he was still in your arms, it's amazing that by this point, he's been able to do so many seemingly unthinkable things. Children's milestones at this age are getting longer and longer, even though they are now walking and talking. To encourage your child's growth, remember that every child develops differently and do everything you can. Children will soon reach those milestones when they are ready, what you need to do is provide them with adequate nutrition and be there for them every time they fall.

1. Physical development in 12-month-old children

A 12-month-old baby can sit on his own, cling to his feet to get up, or can walk on his own while holding another object. Children can hold two objects and knock on each other, pick up their own food and drink from a cup.
When you look back at newborn photos of your baby, it's amazing to see how much your baby is growing at this point. From the baby growth chart, you will see that the fastest weight gain of the baby is between 6 and 9 months old and will slow down as the baby gets older and becomes more and more active. Each child's growth will be different, even siblings, so parents should not make any comparisons between children, boys tend to be heavier and taller than girls. little. At this age, children are already able to use their thumb and index finger to pair objects correctly.
12-month-old babies feel the joy of being in control of their own movements. Children can move from a lying position to a sitting position easily, can sit without support if they want, stand up on their own and carefully sit down. Either way, you always need to take the time to direct your attention to the child because at this stage, the child is very active. Some children even walk on their own without assistance.
Your 12-month-old is already able to coordinate some activities, such as being able to reach for something while holding another object with the other hand.
Your baby is no longer waiting to be held in your arms all the time, she can now move on her own and you just need to cuddle when she wants to. Sometimes children even get angry when you help them, so let them do it on their own.
At this stage, the child already knows how to test the parent's reaction, such as stopping doing something when the parent says no, shaking his head when the child is not eating. Children's motor skills are still in the process of being perfected. If the parent holds one hand, the child can walk more.
Children enjoy throwing and knocking things over, loves to play with pots and pans by putting small ones in big ones, loves to startle people when they use objects and then bang together to make noises big.
Children have a new and exciting sense of control and possibility when they are able to move from place to place on their own. This was the first experience of true physical independence.

2. Emotional development in 12-month-old babies

At this age, your child can understand what you say and imitate your simple actions like clapping, picking up teddy bears, waving goodbye or hello. Even some children who learn to speak early have mastered a few words of their own.
Let your baby listen to music often, 12-month-old babies will recognize familiar songs, dance to the rhythm and feel excited when listening to these tunes.
Through gestures and gestures, children can express their needs to others. Children may cry or get nervous when they see their parents moving away or when there are many strangers around them. At this age, children prefer to be cared for by their parents more than others. Therefore, do not think that your child is too young to distinguish people from people, because at this time, children are already capable of liking this person or thing through facial expressions or crying.
If you teach your baby regularly, in some cases he can point his finger to his ear when you ask where the ear is. You can teach your child how to behave as his understanding grows much better, such as saying "I'm sorry" or waving goodbye. After playing, you can also convince the children to clean up together.

3. How do 12-month-old babies eat and sleep?

Typically, a 12-month-old will need about 14 and a half hours of sleep each day, including a nap (20 to 30 minutes) and a longer nap (2 to 3 hours).
It is recommended to use blankets or nightgowns for babies at this age, to allow more freedom of movement in the crib.
Meal prep for kids is now easier too because your baby can eat the same healthy foods as the rest of the family - just in smaller portions. Children are old enough to use honey, eggs in the diet. In addition to three main meals a day, you should give your child snacks with fruits, vegetables, whole grain toast or plain yogurt.
Children should only drink up to 400ml of milk per day, including drinks and any milk found in breakfast cereals. This can be breast milk or full-fat cow's milk.
Continue to supplement daily vitamins for children such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin D.
If the baby is breastfed, continue to breastfeed. From 12 months of age, you can stop giving your baby formula and switch to whole milk. Give your child 2 to 3 cups a day.
You should encourage children to drink filtered water and limit the use of fruits that contain too much vitamin C.
Encourage children to eat vegetables and apply a balanced menu for children. Children should not eat foods with a high content of sugar, salt and fat. To prevent your child from choking, cut food into small pieces.

4. Activities that encourage children's development

You can encourage your child's development through a number of activities, such as:
Read a book with your child every day and encourage your child to point to an object as you read to it. Choose from a variety of books with pictures and colors. bright colors Show your baby rhyming songs and encourage them to imitate You need to name objects accurately and consistently for your baby to imitate and follow At this stage your baby is not ready to use the toilet so please wait patiently until the baby is 18 to 24 months The baby is still napping, so you should train your baby to have long and short naps on time. Parents should encourage their children to use their own beds. Spend time alone with your baby alone. 12-month-old babies still have limited ability to understand the order of things/events/time, so you should be patient. At this stage, children need to play active games and need to interact with others, so it is necessary to reduce their TV time to just one hour a day To increase communication for children during meals , should let the baby sit in the high chair at the table Do not force the child to eat when the child does not want To avoid having a foreign body in the airways due to aspiration when swallowing, avoid giving the baby hard nuts, hard candies, chewing gum You should encourage children use separate spoons and dishes Practice brushing teeth after meals and before going to bed 12-month-old babies are very active and like to move around in the house, so when taking care of children, it is important to note:
To ensure the safety of children, it is necessary to be aware and discuss with the caregiver about items that can be dangerous, such as electrical outlets, door handles... Stay away from children. Avoid entangled wires such as curtains, electrical wires... Do not expose children to cigarette smoke and do not leave drinks or chemicals near children If your home has its own swimming pool, it should be carefully fenced. Be sure to make sure your baby's toys are larger than his or her mouth to prevent blockages Need to make sure his toys are made of safe materials Baby's toys should be thoroughly inspected to avoid sharp edges and such as parts that can come apart to prevent a baby from swallowing it. Make sure your child is securely seated in the middle of the rear seat, and do not allow your child to sit in the front row when you're driving a private car. Always remember to fasten your child's seat belt. Medicine bottles should be tightly closed and kept out of reach of children. Fire extinguishers in the home should be securely locked so that children cannot open them. Keep chemicals out of the reach of children Household items such as cutlery, hot water thermos or heavy objects must be kept out of reach of children Children need to be followed no matter where, at all times To prevent children from falling When going out, make sure the door is closed. Use sunglasses when your child goes out to avoid two types of ultraviolet rays A and B If your child gets sunburned as a child, this will have serious consequences later in life. . Therefore, during the sunniest times of the day, children should be avoided in the sun. Every child develops in his or her own way, so it's impossible to predict exactly when and how children will perfect all skills. The above milestones help provide the necessary information to monitor your child's development, and if your child is growing too slowly or too fast for the same age, parents have nothing to worry about. alarm. Parents should notify a specialist if they notice that their child is slightly abnormal for his age and has the following signs:
The child cannot crawl Even with the help of parents, the child cannot stand Unable to speak single words like mom, dad Doesn't learn to use gestures like waving, shaking head Child doesn't point at objects or pictures of objects

The 12-month-old period has important life developments. Parents should know the milestones to accompany and help their children develop the best. If they notice unusual signs in their child, parents should take their child to a reputable medical facility for advice and examination.
12-month-old children need 5mg of elemental zinc/day to eat well, reach the correct height and weight and exceed the standard. Zinc plays a role in affecting most biological processes taking place in the body, especially the breakdown of nucleic acids, proteins... Organs in the body when zinc deficiency can lead to a There are a number of diseases such as neurological disorders, irritability, etc. Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and guide them to appropriate zinc supplements for their children.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
Please regularly visit Vinmec.com website and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.