As babies continue to grow and develop, they reach certain developmental milestones. These milestones checklist is what is considered normal by pediatricians. All babies, however, do not attain the milestone at the same time, as some develop faster while others develop slower. Standard guidelines of milestones achievements are truly dependent on an individual child’s physical, social, intellectual, emotional, moral, spiritual, and cultural development.
Here are some developmental changes you may observe in your baby now that they are thirteen months old:
Weight and Size at 13 Months
According to World Health Organization, the average weight for a 13-month-old baby is 21.8 pounds for boys and 20.2 pounds for girls. In addition, a girl’s average height is 29.6 inches, while a males’ average height is 30.3 inches. Keep in mind that each child is uniquely different, and their height and weight will differ, but the averages are meant to show progression in your baby’s growth.
The weight and size gain is progressive as the child grows, and a positive growth curve indicates average growth and development. If you have concerns about your child’s growth curve, a check-up with your pediatrician is essential.
Further Development of the Senses
At this point, your baby’s first’s words are not very clear, but their nonverbal clues likely are clear. For example, your baby may pull on your clothes to attract your attention, point to what they want, and push away what they don’t want. Babies also utter syllables like “mama” or “dada” with a combination of gestures as a means of communication.
When your baby is at thirteen months of age, they can generally understand what you say to them. Their level of understanding is about five times greater than their current speech capacity. Your child can likely say one word or two at this age, and they don’t cry as often as they did before.
At this point, a baby can generally look at where you point when you say look, respond to their name when called, and see where the sound originates.
New Feedings
At thirteen months, your baby needs to consume about 1,000 calories daily, which isn’t always easily achieved, as their appetite may fluctuate, and the food they loved yesterday they may not want a single bite of today. In addition, your baby is slowly transitioning from the bottle or formula feeding and learning new foods. As a result, the portion of food they can consume is equivalent to a quarter of what an adult consumes.
Some food ideas for a 13-month-old baby include vegetables, fortified cereals, dried peaches, ground beef, prunes, whole wheat pasta, refried beans, and tofu. In addition, your child should drink milk for calcium. Their calcium requirement is roughly about 700mg per day. Juice is also acceptable, but it should be unsweetened 100% fruit juice.
Feeding at thirteen months is done with a cup and a straw, if need be, as now they are off the bottle. However, some pediatricians don’t advocate the use of sippy cups as it can delay speech development.
Bowel Movements at 13 Months
It is usual for your child to poop once a day, while some may go three times and day and others even more times. The number of times your child requires to empty their bowels decreases as they continue to grow. When it comes to bowel moments, consistency is more important than frequency. Look out for signs of diarrhea and constipation, as this may be an indication of ill health. Constipation in toddlers is caused by excess cow’s milk, a low fiber diet, or not drinking enough water.
Coughing at 13 Months
Coughing is essential in self-defense against upper respiratory tract infections. The mucus created as a result of a respiratory infection is cleared by coughing. Newborns to children aged four months are generally nose breathers, and can sometimes cough due to nasal congestion.
When should you be worried about your child’s cough?
- Cough accompanied by fever which is consistent for over five days
- A cough lasting over eight weeks despite medication
- A progressive cough which is worse by the third week
- Cough associated with difficulty in breathing
- Bloody cough with night sweats and weight loss
Sleep Schedule
A 13-month-old baby should generally sleep for about 11 to 14 hours a day. Achieving two hours of sleep during the daytime is tricky as babies delay sleep time for as long as they can on these milestones. A good sleep schedule is observed by making your child’s bedroom comfy and not letting the baby sleep in your bed in the middle of the night.
Thirteen-month-old babies experience sleep regression caused by the active dreams they have, which wake them suddenly. Teething can also cause enough discomfort to wake your baby.
Emotional Milestone
With continuous baby development, newborn milestones differ from those of a 13-month-old child. Emotional milestones can be challenging as the toddlers have some problematic behaviors. Some expected behaviors common in 13-months-old include:
- Biting
- Hitting
- Tantrums
- Separation anxiety
Call Us Today!
When looking for a trustworthy pediatrician, the North Texas Medical Center (NTMC) is a great place to start. NTMC offers outpatient pediatric services like newborn visits, ADHD evaluations, telemedicine visits, school and sports physicals, vaccinations, laceration care, and other minor procedures. If you have any questions or need an appointment for your baby, contact North Texas Medical Center at (940) 612-8490 or submit your inquiry using our online form!
