Baby – Health Tips:
Make sure your child gets her immunizations (shots) on time to protect her from many serious diseases. If your child has missed any shots, make an appointment to catch up.
Your child should be eating different kinds of healthy foods. Eating small pieces of soft table food can give your child the nutrition he needs.
Let your child drink from a cup.
Call your child’s doctor or nurse before your next visit if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s health, growth, or development.
Your child should ride in a rear-facing child safety seat in the backseat of the vehicle as long as possible. He should be at least 12 months old AND weigh at least 20 pounds before he is placed in a
forward-facing toddler car seat.
As your child learns to walk and climb, make sure your house is safe to explore. Keep the floor clean, lock poisons away, put things that break on a high shelf, and keep gates closed on stairs.
Your child can choke on small objects. Keep small, hard, round objects (coins, small blocks) out of reach. Avoid giving round pieces of food, such as hot dog slices, grapes, or nuts to eat.
Play, read, and talk with your child every day. Repeat songs and nursery rhymes that she likes.
Name your child’s feelings out loud – happy, sad or mad.
Use words to tell him what is coming next. Your child can understand more words than he can say.
Calmly, set limits to keep your child safe by giving her something different to do. Praise your child when she does things that you like.
When you are a parent, you will be happy, mad, sad, frustrated, angry, and afraid, at times. This is normal. If you feel very mad or frustrated:
1. Make sure your child is in a safe place (like a crib) and walk away.
2. Call a good friend to talk about what you are feeling.
3. Call the free Parent Helpline at 1.800.942.4357 (in Michigan). They will not ask your name, and can offer helpful support and guidance.
The helpline is open 24 hours a day. Calling does not make you weak; it makes you a good parent.
Please call your pediatrician with any questions. If you are looking for a pediatrician in the Rochester Hills/Troy/Sterling Heights MI area, please call us at 248-852-5177.