As a parent or caretaker of an infant, you're likely discovering amazing things about your little one. Some fascinating facts about 1-year-olds will make you laugh and perhaps even surprise you.
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Babies grow fast! In general, babies double their birth weight by five months and triple it by the first year.
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Babies grow at an astonishing rate. Throughout the first year of life, they grow about 1 to 1.5 cm each month—and if they kept this rapid growth up, by adulthood, babies would measure in at 51 meters tall!
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One-year-old babies can recognise themselves in the mirror!
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Their vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds—they'll probably have around 50 words by now!
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Approximately 75% of each meal builds your baby's brain.
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Every hug and kiss helps to develop your baby's brain.
Babies are tiny and perfect, but they can be surprisingly complex as they learn about the world and develop skills that will last a lifetime. In this article, we'll explore some of the essential routines of child care babies must undergo during their first year: What babies eat, what they say, what they understand, and how they learn from their environment. Book an appointment at Manipal Hospitals to know more about the methods to setup a routine for your child.
How does a routine help a child?
First-year babies have a lot of growing to do. They learn to walk, talk, and eat. They also learn how to play with toys and make friends. Here are some things your baby will be doing in the first year:
Motor Skills and Expressing
An infant will learn to roll over, sit up on their own, crawl and even walk! Your little one will also start saying "Mumma" and "Papa" this is babbling, and it's a good sign that your child is developing language skills.
Eating Habits
Your baby will also start eating solid foods at around six months old. Most babies start with rice cereal or strained vegetables such as carrots or sweet potatoes. At approximately nine months old most babies are ready for finger foods like crackers or dry cereal mashed up into mushy food for them to eat with their hands (or even yours!). When they're about one year old, they'll be able to eat more complicated meals. Visit our Childcare hospital in Ghaziabad to know more about child care.
Emotional Learning
By about nine months old, most babies understand what "no" means by the tone of it when you tell them not to touch something dangerous like an electrical outlet or water faucet—hopefully!
Routine Care of your Baby
Babies are a joy to care for, but they also come with a lot of responsibility. It's essential to keep your baby clean and healthy, and it's also important to understand their needs and how to care for them and give them routine care for child benefit that takes care of their health and hygiene. The below points cover the basics of what care routines are in childcare.
Increase Learning
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Playing hide and seek with your infant is a great way to learn about cause and effect and how your baby reacts when you leave them alone or make a noise.
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Help your baby learn by telling them the names of things and people and helping them develop vocabulary.
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Show meaningful gestures like "Bye" to help them understand how to express themselves.
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Pointing out the eyes, nose and mouth on a toy will help your child learn about body parts and encourage curiosity about other things around them!
Increasing Emotional Security
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Babies are still learning about their world and their emotions. They may not understand words like "no" but understand tone of voice and facial expression. Try to say "yes" and "good" more often, rather than "no" and "bad".
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Create a happy environment for your baby by playing with them, singing songs together and smiling a lot!
Immunisation
Immunisation for infants is a vital part of their health and well-being. It protects them from diseases that can be very serious and even life-threatening, such as measles, whooping cough and polio.
Your baby is at risk of catching these diseases because they haven't yet built up immunity. Getting your little one immunised as soon as possible is essential. Make sure your baby gets all the protection they need from these diseases. Talk to your doctor about what immunisations they should have and their timelines.
Physical Examinations
Physical examinations by a doctor are critical to a baby's early health care. A physical exam should include:
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Height and weight measurements
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Head circumference measurement
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Eye examination, including evaluation for congenital cataracts or glaucoma
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Ear examination (looking for discharge)
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Chest examination (looking for rales or wheezing)
Breastfeeding
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Experts recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and introducing appropriate complementary foods at six months with breastfeeding for up to 2 years.
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Breastfeeding for at least six months protects against gastrointestinal infections and reduces newborn mortality.
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Early breastfeeding initiation, within one hour of birth, protects the newborn from acquiring infections and reduces newborn mortality.
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Mother's milk is an essential source of energy and nutrients in children aged 6–23 months, especially during illness.
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Longer durations of breastfeeding reduce mothers' risk of ovarian and breast cancer; they may also increase their children's intelligence quotient (IQ) during childhood.
Potty Training
Potty training is a process which is not as simple as just putting your kid on the toilet, yelling "Go!" and hoping for the best.
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If your child shows signs of being ready to start potty training, don't wait too long!
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Get them excited about it! Kids love new things, so try talking about what a fun thing this will be for both of you when it happens! You might even want to start planning how you'll celebrate when your child makes it happen (like with a new toy or something). Consult with our Paediatrist in Ghaziabad to know more.
Start a Bedtime Routine.
A bedtime routine can distinguish between a peaceful, restful night and one filled with anxiety and crying. Some experts believe that poor sleep habits can lead to infant developmental delays.
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Establish consistent napping times and nighttime sleep schedules. If you want your infant to fall asleep at 8:00 p.m., don't allow them to be awake past 7:00 p.m. If you want him to sleep until 6:00 a.m., don't allow him to be awake past 5:30 or 6:00 a.m.
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Establish a soothing pre-bedtime routine that includes bath time, massage time, storybook time, song time (with lullabies), etc., depending on what works best for your family's lifestyle
Hygiene Training
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Bathing your baby is essential to keeping him healthy, but it's not something you have to do every day.
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Bathing doesn't do much to remove germs from the air or other surfaces around your baby. Spot clean them every day around their mouth, neck and groin — basically anywhere that gets dirty.
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Spot cleaning means washing those areas with soap and water after meals or changing his diaper, so they stay clean throughout the day.
Seek Help
If you're a parent, you know that there are times when your baby is not acting normally. But how do you know when to take them to the doctor? We've got some tips for when you should seek medical attention for infants:
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Temperature above 100.4°F
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Not eating anything for more than two days
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Crying constantly
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Severe rash or diaper rash that doesn't get better with topical ointments
The first year of life can be happy, healthy, and safe with the correct information and guidance. Ensure your infant stays healthy by seeking routine care of the child from the best paediatricians in Ghaziabad at Manipal Hospitals.
Consultant - Paediatrics
Manipal Hospitals, Ghaziabad
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