As your baby grows into his second year, more challenging issues await. In this article, let us continue to explore the various aspects of caring for your growing child.

Foods for your tot

You would have started your baby on complementary foods (i.e. foods in addition to breast milk or formula milk) when he reached six months old to meet his increasing nutritional needs. After his first birthday, it is time to introduce an even more variety of foods into his diet.

Nevertheless, breast milk remains the gold standard in good nutrition. Continue to breastfeed your baby for up to two years, or for as long as your child wants.

Providing good nutrition for your toddler is not complicated at all. The key is to feed your toddler balanced meals that comprise a variety of foods and served in appropriate portions. Your little one may need a little more or fewer calories depending on his height, weight, and level of activity.

It is also a good idea to start instilling healthy eating habits while your child is still a toddler, such as avoid offering snacks near to meal times. This will help start your child’s path to a lifetime of healthy eating.

Baby tantrums

Your baby’s second year is the developmental stage where he starts to show his temper by throwing tantrums or crying relentlessly. Do understand that it is not your child’s intention to annoy you. He is just trying to gain your attention to get what he wants, or merely to express his unwillingness to do something.

It is useful to learn a few strategies to deal with his tantrums, such as staying calm and ignoring his behaviour, knowing when to give in and when not to, and not letting other people’s disapproval affect how you handle the situation.

Watch out for infections

Your baby’s immune system is still maturing in the first few years of life, and thus is less capable of fighting illnesses, especially infections that tend to attack young children.

Mild infections, such as the common cold, ear infection, and diarrhoea, usually do not pose a great concern, and can be managed with simple strategies. But when symptoms become serious or persistent, seek medical attention immediately.

More serious infectious diseases, such as hand-foot-and-mouth disease, urinary tract infection, lung infection, and meningitis require medical attention.

Some highly-infectious and possibly life-threatening diseases, including rotavirus infection and pneumococcal disease, may be prevented by vaccinating your child.

Mind these symptoms

A condition that tends to be on the rise among children today is allergy. There are different forms of allergies: food allergies, eczema, contact dermatitis, to name a few. Common symptoms of allergy include itchiness, rashes, runny nose, watery eyes, and stomach upsets.

Allergies tend to run in families, meaning if one or both of you have an allergy, then your child is also likely to develop some form of allergy as well.

Most allergic symptoms are mild, but serious ones (e.g. anaphylaxis) can threaten life and are considered medical emergencies. Therefore, be watchful of such reactions if your child has a known allergy.

Allergy is a lifetime condition that can be managed effectively. Most importantly, keep your child away from the allergy-causing culprit, which can either be one or more types of food, dust mites, mould, or chemicals in detergents.

Want to minimise your child’s risk of developing allergy? The most effective way is to exclusively breastfeed him for his first six months of life.

Your baby’s developmental milestones

As your baby grows, he gradually acquires different skills that allow him to learn, explore, and interact with his environment.

For example, your baby wiggles and kicks his arms and legs at three months, learns to sit without support at six months, utters his first word at one year, runs stiffly and follows simple one-step direction at 18 months, and feeds himself with a spoon at two years.

Every child is different. Each develops in their own pace and manner. There is no need to be alarmed if your child takes slightly longer to reach these milestones. Just allow him to learn the necessary skills at his own rate. However, if you feel there is a cause for concern, talk to a paediatrician.

To support your child’s development, one of the things you can do is to encourage him to play. Even simple toys and games can aid your baby’s development at different stages of his development. Most importantly, do not miss out the chance to play with your child, as it will be one of the most treasured moments in life when you look back years later.

Your little baby will grow up into adulthood in a flash. For now, why not enjoy and cherish this amazing journey of parenthood?