12 months checkup
The 12-month checkup: what to expect and what to ask
The one-year visit changes several standing rules at once — milk, sleep, and often the cot.
It is a good appointment to arrive at with a list, because a lot gets covered quickly.
What this visit usually covers
- Growth, physical exam and immunisations.
- Development: pulling up, cruising or walking, first words, pointing.
- The switch to cow's milk and away from formula, and what that changes.
- Screening for anaemia and, depending on where you live, lead.
Worth asking
Take this in with you. The appointment moves faster than you expect, and the specific question gets a specific answer.
- How much milk is right now, and is she getting enough iron from food?
- Have we booked the first dental visit? It is recommended by the first birthday.
- She isn't walking yet — at what point is that worth looking at? The ordinary range is wide.
- What does she need to be doing with words and gestures by now?
Where this comes from
Schedules vary by practice and by country, and yours may cover more or less than this. It is a companion for the appointment, not a substitute for it — the person in the room can see your child, and this page can't.