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

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Dang Huy Toan - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Nha Trang International General Hospital


Psychology of 17-month-old children can have certain physical and cognitive development day by day. At this stage, children already know the world around many new things and constantly explore. Therefore, parents need to know the developmental milestones of their children at each age, in order to have the most comprehensive care and support.

1. Physical and motor development of 17-month-old children

This is the period when the physical development in the baby's small body suddenly improves at a rapid rate, so it is necessary to pay attention to the appropriate nutrition for 17-month-old children. Some things parents may notice are:
Weight and height : According to the World Health Organization, the average weight of a 17-month-old baby is 10kg for girls and 10.8kg for girls. boy. The average height of a 17-month-old baby is 80cm for girls and 81cm for boys. Walking on two legs: An 18-month-old can walk on his own in the second year of development with little adult support. Although sometimes walking is not stable, children often fall but will know how to get up on their own. When guided and controlled, children will also insist on walking independently. Climbing: Sometimes, parents will notice that a child is always trying to climb out of his bed. When free to run, children will also experiment with climbing on everything, trying to reach for anything from above. Self-feeding: Children already know how to put their favorite foods in their mouths and refuse foods they don't like. Some children know how to hold a spoon to scoop food, but when it comes to the mouth, it may not be accurate. However, when doing this with the fingers, the child's hand has become much more flexible. Even children have a tendency to put everything in their mouths within reach. Undressing: Children know how to undress themselves such as hats, glasses, scarves, diapers or simple clothes. Parents need to encourage their children to do this for themselves.

2. Cognitive and psychological development of 17-month-old children

Along with physical development, children have certain milestones in cognitive and emotional development as follows:
Distinguishing acquaintances from strangers: In this stage, children are 17 months old. Not only will they know how to apply their physical abilities to explore the world around them, but they will also discover relationships and will also begin to recognize familiar faces. On the contrary, children will show fear and avoidance when interacting with strangers. Therefore, parents need to allow children time to get acquainted and interact. Children will find ways to make friends and interact with others in their own time and pace. Know how to express emotions: Children know how to express their joy and love when being cuddled and pampered. On the contrary, children also know how to scream, get angry, cry when angry or unhappy. Moreover, children may also use physical measures such as hitting and biting when they are upset. These attitudes of children are very easily influenced in the surrounding communication environment that children observe. Ownership awareness: Children have realized what is theirs and not theirs. With things children love, they will be less inclined to share, including their parents or toys. Expression in language and behavior: Children learn to express in language and behavior. Although the vocabulary is still quite simple, children know how to practice speaking, repeating familiar words from adults to express their intentions, or expressing through behavior for others to understand, such as children pointing at objects and wanting claim them. Wants to make decisions: Some children this age have even begun to make small decisions. It is important that the parent or caregiver allows the child to do these things. However, as the child gets older, he or she may learn to be negative if his decision is not accepted or ignored. It is best for adults to keep the right position and be consistent with the child from the beginning so that the child is aware of which decisions are right and which ones are wrong.

In short, parents need to always remember that when children have started to walk, this is the period when children are exploring and experimenting with everything around them. With 17-month-old children, because physical skills have not yet been developed, parents still need to pay attention to keep babies away from dangerous things. At the same time, with individual perceptions and consciousness gradually forming, children need to clearly learn what is right and wrong from the beginning, limiting compromise and pampering children. On the contrary, if a 17-month-old child cannot walk or does not know what to do as described above, parents need to take the child to a doctor soon, in order to detect potential developmental delays and promptly correct them. Give your child the steps of comprehensive development like his peers.


17-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.
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