15-month-old health & growth guide
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All those big feelings you've been forewarned about? Now may be a good time to incorporate some baby sign language.
Marc Tran/Stocksy
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Curiosity abounds this month as your toddler follows their senses—wherever they may lead. To pull the cat’s tail? To climb to see the ladybug on the window? To reach for that cookie on their sister’s plate? Your little one is laser-focused on pursuing their passions this month, and as many 15-month-olds are walking (or very close to it), they can finally act on all their desires. That may be met with some friction, but try to remember that all this exploration is how they learn about themselves and the world around them—and they’re growing every day. Here’s what else you need to know about your 15-month-old’s health and growth this month.
Related: 15-month-old baby milestones
15-month-old nutrition
If you’re seeing signs of picky eating habits starting to emerge, know that while tough, it’s all a normal part of toddler development. Roll with it, mama, and try to pull back on the pressure a little. Your tiny tyrant is power hungry (if not *actually* hungry), and is ready to stand their ground. Aim to offer snacks and meals on a consistent schedule, and invite them to be a part of family mealtimes as much as possible. Watching how and what you and others in their family eat normalizes the experience. It may also help to know that while daily nutrition is important, at this age, taking stock of the week’s food intake gives a fuller picture than just the past 24 hours.
The AAP recommends the following feeding amounts for 15-month-olds:
- 1 ounce of meat, or 2 to 3 tablespoons of beans
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of vegetables
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of fruit
- 1/4 slice of bread
As a general guideline, for kids between the ages of 1 and 3, a serving size should be approximately one-quarter of an adult’s, AAP notes.
Keep offering fruit and veggies at every meal and protein-filled snacks for your growing tot, and keep up with breastfeeding if that’s still working for you both (AAP now recommends extending breastfeeding at least until age 2). If you’re still nursing, we have tips on how to make extended breastfeeding happen. Whole cow’s milk is also a good source of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals—your 15-month-old needs no more than 16 ounces a day. By 15 months, most pediatricians recommend children are completely weaned from the bottle, so now’s a good time to introduce a sippy cup if you haven’t yet.
Does my toddler need a multivitamin?
Your 15-month-old is likely too young to take a multivitamin. But if they’re missing a big food group due to an allergy or have a very limited diet for a different reason, talk with your pediatrician to get their recommendations.
15-month-old weight
For babies up to 2 years of age, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend using the World Health Organization (WHO) weight and length charts.
The WHO growth charts for babies 0 to 2 years are based on what is standard for a predominantly breastfed infant. According to the organization, the WHO charts reflect growth patterns among children who were predominantly breastfed for at least 4 months and were still breastfeeding at 12 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends continuing to breastfeed for at least two years, as long as it benefits both mother and baby.
How much does the average 15-month-old weigh?
Your toddler’s height and weight should still be increasing steadily, though not as rapidly as in their first year. By 15 months, if they haven’t already, your little one may likely have tripled their birth weight.
According to the WHO and CDC:
- A 15-month-old baby boy in the 50th percentile weighs 22 pounds, 12 ounces (10.3 kilograms)
- A 15-month-old baby girl in the 50th percentile weighs 21 pounds, 3 ounces (9.6 kilograms)
What factors contribute to a 15-month-old baby’s weight?
Your baby’s weight may be related to several different factors, including how much they’re eating, their assigned sex and their activity levels.
Assigned sex at birth: Males tend to weigh slightly more than females.
Daily food intake: The amount your child eats at each feeding may factor into their weight, as well as if they’re still breastfeeding or drinking cow’s milk.
Activity levels: Your lovebug is working on walking, if they haven’t already. Physical activity helps build strong muscles and bones—which means their activity levels may factor into their overall weight.
Related: When will my baby start walking? Experts share there’s a wide range
15-month-old height
Between now and the next three months, you can expect your baby to grow about an inch in length and gain about 1 ½ pounds.
How tall is the average 15-month-old?
According to the WHO and CDC:
- A 15-month-old baby boy in the 50th percentile is 31 inches long (79.1 cm)
- A 15-month-old baby girl in the 50th percentile is 30 ½ inches long (77.5 cm)
What factors contribute to a 15-month-old baby’s length?
Tall kids usually have tall parents—genetics have the biggest influence over your baby’s future height. But a few other factors can come into play, too. How active they are, nutrition, sleep quantity and overall health, as well as their assigned sex at birth all have a role (boys tend to be slightly taller than girls, for example).
Growth charts and percentiles
At the 15-month well-check, your child’s pediatrician will plot their weight, length and head circumference on their growth chart. You should now have over a year’s worth of data to see how their growth has been changing over time. But if they’ve seemingly lost half an inch since last visit? Try not to stress—measuring a wiggly toddler is… difficult. There’s bound to be an inaccuracy somewhere down the line.
It’s the overall growth curve that the doctor will examine—not the blips and bumps along the way. And rest assured that your child is healthy whether they fall in the 5th or 95th percentile, AAP says. Percentiles just provide an example of how a baby’s growth may be compared to that of other babies who are the same age and sex, too. But just remember, all babies grow at different rates.
Once you get your babe’s updated height and weight percentiles, here’s what those numbers signify: If your baby’s weight is in the 55th percentile, that means that 45% of babies of the same age and sex weigh more, and 55% weigh less.
When should I worry about my baby’s growth?
Recall that your child’s doctor has been using their growth chart to help track along with your child’s growth, and if they’re worried about your 15-month-old’s growth, they’ll definitely let you know.
By 15 months, some parents are concerned if their child hasn’t started walking yet. “According to the 2022 updated guideline by the AAP and CDC, first steps should occur around 15 months, and by 18 months, a baby should be able to walk without holding onto anyone or anything,” Stephanie M. Graebert, MD, a pediatrician with Children’s Hospital New Orleans, tells Motherly in a previous interview.
“If your baby was born prematurely, you want to use an adjusted age for the first two years of your baby’s life when monitoring milestones. You can calculate this ‘adjusted age’ by subtracting how many weeks early your baby was by their actual age,” Dr. Graebert says. Those first steps will come, mama, but if you’re concerned, talk to your pediatrician.
Related: First-time mamas reach milestones, too—right alongside their baby
15-month-old baby sleep
Your little one’s sleeping habits are also a key factor in their health and growth. Now that your baby is over 1 year old, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine states that your baby needs 11 to 14 hours of sleep. Keep aiming for a solid 10 to 11 hours of consecutive nighttime sleep, and the rest can be filled in through one to two naps during the day.
What sleep looks like at 15 months:
- Your baby may be taking 2 naps per day
- Your baby may no longer be waking at night
- Your baby may be awake for 3 to 4 hours at a time
If your child has a hard time falling asleep at bedtime or is starting to rise especially early in the morning, it could be that their daytime naps are interfering with their nighttime sleep. Try pushing their naps to be a little earlier in the day or a bit shorter (45 minutes, say, rather than a full hour or more). But at this age, naps are still important brain breaks for your kiddo, so try to put off dropping that second nap for a little longer, if you can.
You might also notice some night wakings this month, which some sleep experts say is due to the 15-month sleep regression. If sleep changes are happening, remember that to rely on the basics. Sticking with a consistent nighttime and naptime routine and rotating through soothing measures can help. These new sleep challenges may be a sign of your toddler’s growing independence and need for control, as well as those burgeoning milestone skills (walking and more talking) that may be happening this month. So many changes!
Remember, you’ve already navigated several sleep regressions by now, mama, and this one shouldn’t be that different. Sleep should be more predictable in just a couple of weeks.
Related: Dr. Harvey Karp’s secrets to sleep training a toddler
Diapering a 15-month-old
It’s likely that you’ll still be using 5 to 7 diapers a day with your 15-month-old, and that may still be the case for several months after. The earliest many babies are ready to start working on potty training is around 18 months, but for others, it’s much later.
That’s not to diminish the fact that diaper changes are a whole other beast with a toddler. Now that your tot is more on-the-go, consider moving diaper changes to the floor so they can wriggle around without you worrying about them falling off an elevated surface. And though we know you’re a pro at this, it might be worth quickly refreshing your roster of distraction techniques to keep them entertained, like singing a song or reciting a rhyme or handing them a toy to examine.
Caring for a 15-month-old
Here’s what to know about vaccines, baths, safety and care for your growing babe.
Vaccines for 15-month-olds
It’s important to keep your child on schedule with regard to their childhood vaccinations so that they can receive vaccine-provided immunity early in life, before they come into contact with potentially life-threatening diseases. At your baby’s 15-month well-check, they’ll be due for a few vaccinations if they didn’t receive certain booster doses at their 12-month well-check.
Your baby will likely receive the following vaccines at their 15-month checkup:
- Hepatitis B (HepB) – If they didn’t get the 3rd dose at 6, 9 or 12 months
- Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis (DTaP) – 4th dose between 15-18 months
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) – 3rd or 4th dose between 12-15 months
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13, PCV15) – If they didn’t get the 4th dose at 12 months
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) – If they didn’t get the 3rd dose at 6, 9 or 12 months
The CDC has determined that flu and Covid vaccines should be an annual part of the routine childhood vaccinations offered to kids: Talk to your pediatrician also about whether your child is due for a flu vaccine and a Covid vaccine, based on seasonality and when they had their last shot.
Both of these vaccines can help prevent severe disease or hospitalization in your infant should they contract the illness. If you have questions or concerns, be sure to speak with your child’s healthcare provider.
Preventing injection pain
Many parents dread the day when their kiddo has to receive an injection, because it means one thing when that needle goes in: Pain. Enter the Bionix Shotblocker and Buzzy Pain Relief Device, which were both designed to apply light, nerve-stimulating pressure at the injection site, confusing the body’s nerve signaling to the brain in the short-term, meaning your little one won’t even feel the needle poke.
Designed for kids over 12 months old, the Shotblocker and Buzzy are commonly seen in children’s hospitals, where patients are more likely to receive frequent injections or IV lines. But they carry benefits when administering routine vaccinations, too.
Related: Want tear-free shots? These devices can reduce pain from vaccinations and injections
Baths
While daily baths aren’t a necessity, bathtime can be a fun, sensory experience for your tot these days, especially when the weather’s less than ideal. Gather up a few toys, bubbles and towels and get ready for the splash zone.
But baths can also be calming: If you’ve come to depend on a short nighttime bath as part of your bedtime routine, that’s OK too—just aim to keep them quick so as not to dry out their skin. A quick slather of soothing calendula oil after toweling off helps add moisture.
Related: 14 bath safety tips for babies and kids of all ages
Little friends
Though your child may not fully grasp the concept of playing with another kiddo until their preschool years, setting up an opportunity for them to engage in what experts call “parallel play” can still have big benefits. Young children may often stand side by side with a peer and watch or model how they play, and they’re learning from this experience, even if it seems like they’re operating in their own separate worlds. Parent-child classes, library story times and friend playdates are all fun ways to engage this muscle—as long as your kiddo is well-rested!
Related: Preschool play protects your child’s mental health later in life
Sign language
All those big feelings you’ve been forewarned about in the toddler years? So many times those eruptions happen over a desire for more control and independence in their world, or a frustration over a lack of communication. Now’s a good time to incorporate some baby sign language to help get over any communication hurdles. Try signs for “more”, “all done”, “please”, “thank you”, “potty”, “milk” and other words that are crucial to your child’s day.
A note from Motherly on self-care while caring for a 15-month-old
Your tot is becoming more of an individual—and a little more independent—each day, mama. That means you might start to feel a little bit more independent yourself. Take time to get back in touch with the things that help you feel like yourself again, which can often get left behind as you drop everything to care for this tiny human. Is there a book you’ve been wanting to read? A podcast or show you’ve been meaning to check out? A concert you can see with a friend? A trip you can take with your partner or your mom? Get it on the cal—you deserve to reclaim some time for yourself. And if you’re struggling more than usual lately, reach out to your primary care provider, who may be able to recommend a therapist or other mental health support.
A version of this story was originally published on May 16, 2023. It has been updated.
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