Your baby is now a bouncy 11-month-old cherub, and you're excited about their first birthday! However, just because the first year is a milestone doesn't mean there's nothing to look forward to at the 11-month-old mark.
Here are some important things you should know about your 11-month-old baby's development. Remember that every child is unique and may meet milestones at varying times. If you are worried about any aspect of your child's development, speak to a paediatrician.
11 Month Old Development and Milestones: Is Your Child On Track?
11 Months Old: Physical Developmental Milestones
At this stage, your child’s median length and weight* should be as follows:
- Boys
– Length: 74.4 cm (29.3 inches)
– Weight: 9.4 kg (20.8lb) - Girls
– Length: 72.8 cm (28.7 inches)
– Weight: 9.0 kg (19.9lb)
And your child’s head circumference* should be:
- Boys: 45.8 cm (18 inches)
- Girls: 44.58 cm (17.6 inches)
By this time, your baby should already be moving around the house, albeit still holding on to you or the furniture to keep steady while they explore the world around them.
This is when you must be careful and keep a close eye on your little one since they will get rather adventurous, even climbing onto furniture or out of their own cot.
Your baby will be more independent, so this is a good time to let them explore things alone, within your safe limits.
How to support your 11-month-old's physical development
- It's important to keep your home safe, as your 11 month old will open drawers, doors and cabinets, etc.
- Anything that they can see is something new and interesting, so keep any dangerous chemicals, as well as any sharp or dangerous objects well away.
- Make sure to cover electrical sockets.
- Your baby develops independence at this stage, so embrace their newfound independence by encouraging them to walk around and explore the world around them (under your supervision, of course).
- While you might be tempted to give your baby shoes since they will start to walk at this stage, it's still best for your baby to walk barefoot as long as they are indoors or on grass or another soft, clean surface. Shoes or sandals might make it difficult for your baby to find balance.
Consult a doctor if your baby:
- Still has trouble standing, even with support.
Cognitive Development
At 11 months, your baby will start to become aware of what's happening in their surroundings. Your baby will observe what other people do and try to imitate them.
Your baby may also be fascinated by colourful storybooks and will reach for them from time to time. They will enjoy turning the pages one by one.
At this stage, your little one can comprehend what "no" means, but won't always follow.
How to promote your 11-month-old's brain development
- When reading to your baby, make sure they are thoroughly engaged by reading words animatedly or pointing and naming certain objects and characters.
- Help boost your baby’s development at this stage by exposing them to new items. You can let your baby touch different textures, objects, and teach them basic shapes or textures.
Consult a doctor if your baby:
- Seems aloof and listless.
- Is not observant and receptive to people and sounds.
Emotional and Social Developmental Milestones
At this age, your little one will start to have their personality. Your baby knows what they like and dislike and can experience a range of emotions they didn't experience before.
Some babies this age also start to play with kids of their age, while others still prefer to play solo.
Your baby might start throwing tantrums if you take away a favourite toy or if they don't particularly like the food you're giving them. Your little one may learn to use crying to get what they want, so it's important to know how to handle your little one during this stage.
How to nurture your 11 month old's emotional development
- Now is a great time to start teaching your baby various social skills and setting some simple rules for them to follow.
- Don't force your child to be social. Just let it happen naturally, as parallel play is usually preferred by little ones this age.
- Be firm when saying no, especially when your child touches something that could harm them, like a hot cup or breakable objects. Of course, you don't need to discipline your baby harshly. A simple no and a stern voice will usually suffice.
Consult a doctor if your baby:
- Is constantly crying for attention.
- Does not want to engage in any type of play with other babies.
Speech and Language Development
Chances are, you've already discovered the “big word” your kid learns at this stage. That word, of course, is “no”. You'll start hearing it a lot, especially since, at this time, your 11 month old may become picky when it comes to food. They may also resist if they still want to play and it's already nap time.
Your baby will be able to say a few very simple words, so it's good to start reading and talking to them even more to get their brain ready to learn more words. You can start teaching the different baby words for objects and how to use them.
Your baby’s memory will also improve at this stage, so they will understand more words as the months go by.
How to encourage your 11 month old's speech and language development:
- Talk to your baby and encourage them to communicate. Even babbling, though unintelligible, is a vital part of language development.
- Make sure to sharpen the baby's memory by repeating certain words or even pointing and naming familiar people and objects. Teach new words and reinforce those words by using them often.
- Boost your child's attention span by playing games like peek-a-boo or opening and closing your hand while singing. Not only will this improve focus, but they will also find this entertaining, too.
Consult a doctor if your baby:
- Is barely cooing or babbling.
- Rarely makes eye contact.
Health and Nutrition
By 11 months old, you can feed your baby four small meals a day, each consisting of around 1/2 cup or bowl of food. Baby can also be given two snacks between their milk feedings.
Typically, the calorie intake for boys and girls of this age are as follows:
- Boys: 758.6 Kcal/day
- Girls: 723 Kcal/day
Their nutrition should be composed of the following:
-
Protein
This essential nutrient is needed to fuel your child's growth and development.
Your child needs around 23.7 grams of protein daily. This amounts to approximately an adult female palm-sized portion of fish, a child palm-sized piece of red meat or chicken or turkey, five to seven tablespoons of dry beans and peas, or an egg, or 5-7 dice-sized cubes of tofu.
Give your child oily fish such as sardine or pink salmon, as these are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, essential for brain development. Lean red meat is better for your baby than fatty meat.
-
Fruits
A good fruit intake is essential for your baby's proper vitamin and mineral requirements. It also keeps the baby's digestive system healthy. Your baby needs about 1/4 cup of fruit every day. This can include 1/4 medium banana, half of a medium avocado, or 1/4 of a medium papaya, or half a small mango. Avoid dried or canned fruits if possible, as these have high sugar content.
-
Vegetables
Your child needs 1/4 cup of vegetables every day. This amounts to about 1/4 cup of cooked vegetables like pumpkin or sweet potato, half a cup of raw leafy greens like spinach or kale that is cooked, steamed or sauteed, or half a medium carrot cut into sticks and steamed.
-
Grains
Introduce 1.5 ounces or about 42.5 g of grains daily in your child’s meals. This amounts to 1.5 slices of whole grain bread, one cup of cooked pasta or oatmeal, or one cup of rice. You should avoid heavily processed white bread, pasta and rice and opt for wholemeal/wholegrain varieties if possible.
-
Milk/Dairy
Your child needs around 700-1000 ml of milk per day. Avoid giving cow's milk until next month.
In a nutshell, here’s what your child needs every day (refer above for what the amounts look like):
- Fruits: 1/4 for boys; 1/4 cups for girls
- Vegetables: 1/4 cups for boys; 1/4 cups for girls
- Grains: up to 1.5 ounces for boys and girls
- Proteins: 23.75g for boys and girls
- Milk: 20-35 ounces of breast milk or 24 ounces of formula for boys and girls
- Water: 800 ml for boys; 800 ml for girls
Of course, providing your baby with proper nutrition is very important, so feed him healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, and protein-rich foods like fish, beef, and chicken.
How to support your 11 month old baby's nutrition:
- Let your baby feed themselves using their fingers (just make sure they're clean). You can also start introducing how to handle a spoon.
- Your baby should now be able to drink on their own or with a little assistance.
- When it comes to food, this is when your baby starts to become pickier about what they want to eat, so it's important to be patient. Keep offering different types of food to your baby.
- Avoid too many sweets, as the baby might develop a sweet tooth at a young age. Breastfeeding is still highly recommended at this age if possible.
- Added salt and sugar should be avoided completely or limited as much as possible.
- If you have a picky eater, just be patient when introducing the new food. A baby usually needs several feedings before getting used to a certain taste.
Consult a doctor if your baby:
- It breaks out in rashes after eating.
- Vomits, after all, or almost all meals.
Vaccination and Common Illnesses
- BCG
- Hepatitis B (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- DTaP (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- IPV (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- Hib (1st, 2nd and 3rd dose)
- Pneumococcal Conjugate (1st and 2nd dose)
To read more about your child's vaccination schedule, click here.
Has your baby had their first common cold yet? While it's stressful to see your little one ill, child sickness is inevitable and helps build up the baby's immunity. Aside from common cold, little ones may also be prone to common illnesses like Hand, Foot Mouth disease, seasonal strains of flu and coughs and rashes.
Never medicate your baby on your own unless you are a doctor yourself. Don't hesitate to seek medical advice for any illness in your child, even common ones. However, you can ease your child's symptoms through, for example, saline drops for a congested nose or lukewarm sponging for fever.
Some reminders:
- Never force-feed your child if they lose their appetite when sick. Just make sure your baby is well-hydrated.
- If your baby is prescribed antibiotics by the doctor, you must finish the course, even if the baby seems to be better.
- If the baby bumps their head, apply an ice pack (wrapped in a cloth) immediately to prevent bruising.
- All family members should strictly follow basic hygiene practices. This includes washing hands before meals and after using the bathroom.
Consult a doctor if your baby:
- Has an unusually poor appetite or is severely underweight for their age.
- Also, if they have a fever over 38 degrees Celsius.
- Has a chesty or phlegmy cough that does not ease after two days.
- Wheezes or finds it hard to breathe (you should call emergency).
*Disclaimer: This is the median length and weight, and head circumference according to WHO standards.
Updated by Pheona Ilagan
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