1. Developmental characteristics of an 11-month-old baby
At 11 months, babies tend to experience slower weight gain but focus more on height growth. Besides that, as the baby's ability to sit and stand up becomes more stable, they will start to look at the world from an upright position, which makes everything around them very interesting.
According to the child's growth chart, the average weight of an 11-month-old baby is 8.7 kg (19.2 pounds) for girls and 9.4 kg (20.8 pounds) for boys. Meanwhile, the average height is 72.9 cm (28.7 inches) for girls and 74.4 cm (29.3 inches) for boys. Most babies at this stage can grow about 1.3 cm taller each month and gain 100 grams each week, but when babies learn to walk and become more active, their growth rate may start to slow down a bit. Therefore, parents may find that their 11-month-old baby is not gaining weight as quickly as before.
Accordingly, an 11-month-old baby weighing 8kg or 8.5kg is lower or underweight compared to the normal index. This is often due to an inadequate diet for the baby compared to the needs or parents still have difficulty in feeding the baby. However, assessing the baby's weight before making a conclusion must be compared to the weight index the baby achieved in the previous month. If there is an increase, it is still acceptable, because babies with acute illnesses, congenital diseases, or premature babies whose weight is lower than that of their peers can still be partially acceptable. On the contrary, if this curve becomes a horizontal line (curve plateaus) , especially when it lasts for several consecutive months, parents should take their child to see a pediatrician or nutritionist for timely intervention.
2. Other developmental abilities of an 11-month-old baby
Senses
An 11-month-old baby can see quite clearly at a distance of up to 60cm. Thanks to that, the baby can easily observe objects when they move and are easily attracted to moving, colorful images and toys
In terms of hearing, the baby has learned to listen attentively and now this ability has been integrated with vision. In other words, they both see and hear, recognize their mother or relatives, and constantly explore what is happening around them.
The baby's fingers seem to be constantly active. They love to be challenged with new toys and love to explore the inside of everything, seeing how they work.
Movement
11-month-old babies are getting better at crawling and can crawl faster. This is their main mode of transportation. However, when babies can walk steadily, they will find walking more comfortable.
Accordingly, babies tend to hold onto objects around them to stand up on their own and take their first steps. Although their feet are not yet stable enough to bear their weight of the body and maintain balance, babies still do not give up and try to repeat. If they cannot find a way to reach the desired object by themselves, they know how to point to it so adults get it for them. Conversely, some babies also learn to recognize relatives as well as each part of their body or surrounding objects and point to them when asked who or where.
3. How to prepare food for an 11-month-old baby?
The diet of an 11-month-old baby includes breastfeeding or formula three to five times a day and three solid food meals, and one to three snacks. Some mothers think that they should stop breastfeeding their babies when they are about to turn one year old, but it should be noted that the benefits of breast milk last until the toddler years. In fact, many women continue to breastfeed after their child’s first birthday and find it very enjoyable and energizing. Therefore, this is a personal decision, so do what is right for you and your child.
In cases where the mother stops secreting milk, besides weaning meals, the baby needs to be supplemented with formula suitable for their age. Accordingly, fresh milk and whole milk should be used only from the baby's first birthday. This is the time where their digestive system is mature enough to process regular cow's milk, avoiding disturbing their incomplete digestive system.
For solid meals, pediatricians always encourage parents to apply baby-led weaning. At this time, parents should let the baby sit in a high chair and guide them to put food into their mouth with their fingers and start exploring how to use a spoon. Nutrients for 11-month-old babies should come from a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products - cheese and yogurt - and protein - beef, chicken, fish, tofu. Babies should be given light snacks in the morning and afternoon to provide them with enough energy to play all day. Crackers, fruits, and dry cereals are all good choices for these snacks.
4. Sleep of an 11-month-old baby
An 11-month-old baby may still maintain a total sleep time of about 13 to 14 hours per day. About 10 to 11 hours of that is at night and babies can take two naps totaling about three hours during the day.
Parents can keep putting their baby to sleep on their back as usual but don't worry if they often change their position, including turning onto their stomach at night because the risk of sudden infant death syndrome is very low from about 8 months of age. In fact, most 11-month-olds can roll both ways easily and some seem to have a habit of sleeping on their stomach.
Only a very small number of babies wake up on their own during the night, especially when they feel uncomfortable, such as teething pain, being too hot or too cold, or... being hungry. Therefore, to ensure that they have a good sleep while the energy is always required, parents should feed them three main meals a day along with snacks so that they are not hungry at night.
In summary, at 11 months old, babies become very active and constantly explore everything around them. Therefore, their diet needs to provide enough essential nutrients, both to maintain a sufficient energy source for the baby to be active all day and to help them grow according to the weight and height growth chart. This is the foundation for the best physical start in the following years until they grow up.
In addition, 11-month-old babies need 5mg of elemental zinc per day to ensure appetite, reach, or even exceed, the standard height and weight. Zinc plays a role in most biological processes in the body, especially the synthesis process or degradation of nucleic acid and protein. Organs lacking zinc can cause some diseases such as neurological disorders, easy irritability,... Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and the guide for appropriate zinc supplementation for their baby.
In addition to zinc, parents should also supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... to ensure their appetite, their immune system, and strengthen resistance to reduce minor illnesses.
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