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Advice: 2 years

Nutrition

  •  Kids are surprisingly well-nourished despite ‘finicky’ eating.
  • Encourage 5 servings of REAL fruits and vegetables.
  • Use appropriate food portions by using your child’s fist size to estimate the size of one portion.
  • Limit salt, processed snacks, sugar and sweets.
  • Juice has no nutritional value. Encourage drinking water.
  • You can now switch from whole to 2% milk.
  • We recommend a daily multivitamin with Vitamin D (600 IU).

Sleep

Many children are still in cribs. We suggest they stay in the crib until they climb out or get evicted by a younger sibling. Most children continue to take one nap per day. Even if they sometimes do not sleep, it is wise to insist on a quiet period of rest at a regular time each day. You should aim for a bedtime between 7 and 8 PM.

Potty Training

Most toddlers accomplish potty training by age 3. It is appropriate at this age to obtain a potty chair, discuss its purpose, and allow the child to observe parents using the toilet. Some signs of readiness include: the child being interested in potty training or verbalizing when they’ve gone potty, being able to pull his/her pants up and down, being able to go at least 1 hour with a dry diaper, and the parent being ready to take on this adventure. Nudge gently with encouragement, applause, and stickers (no candy).

It is normal for children to still need a pull- up while asleep, even if they are potty- trained when awake!

What to expect at your 2 year visit

Check-up: Your provider will complete a comprehensive history and physical exam, review growth curves, answer any questions, and provide age appropriate guidance.

Vaccines: 

  • Hepatitis A
  • Vaccine side effects: The majority of babies do not have any side effects from today’s shots, but some may experience pain at the injection site, fever or fussiness for 1-2 days. You can give Tylenol or Motrin if fever develops.  MMR can produce higher fevers than other vaccines and fever may develop up to 7-10 days following vaccination

 

Labs: A single finger poke (capillary draw) is done to collect both labs

  • Hemoglobin – This tests your child’s blood count and is a good marker for iron levels
  • Lead – This tests for any lead in you child’s blood.  Lead can cause significant developmental delays and other problems. This test is required by the state.  

 

Screening Questionnaires:

  • Ages & Stages Questionnaire – This is a brief survey that asks questions to asses your child’s development in gross motor, fine motor, social, communication and problem solving areas
  • MCHAT – This is a screening tool for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Learn more about vaccines

Parenting Corner

You should encourage your child’s emerging independence and offer choices to the child whenever possible while retaining your authority to make and maintain family rules.

Remind them when their behavior is not what you’d like to see, and always model the kind of actions and language you are looking for.

Now is the time to take control of screen time! Limit TV watching, video games, and tablet use to 1 hour per day. Keep electronics out of the bedroom.

Dental Health

Fluoride varnish might be applied to your child’s teeth today. As soon as saliva meets the fluoride, it will harden and start working. Avoid sticky/chewy foods this afternoon and DO NOT brush teeth tonight. When you brush the teeth tomorrow morning, you will brush off the fluoride and that is okay. Regular and frequent exposure to small amounts of fluoride is the best way to protect tooth enamel and protect teeth against cavities.

Sugars and bacteria cause cavities in 1 in 4 children. We recommend that you:

  • Discontinue bottles and pacifiers if you haven’t already.
  • Minimize exposure to natural or refined sugars (juice).
  • Brush teeth with a smear of fluoride toothpaste in the morning and before bed.
  • Take your child to see the dentist every 6 months.

Toddler Safety

ALWAYS… supervise your child near water, even a partially filled bath tub. Fence in backyard pools.

ALWAYS… wear sunscreen when spending time outside. We recommend SPF 30 or higher.

ALWAYS… guard windows and stairs with railings and gates.

ALWAYS… pay attention to choking hazards such as hot dogs, popcorn, hard candy, and small toys

ALWAYS… lock up all medications and household poisons including cleaners, paint thinners, and drain cleaners.

ALWAYS… know that guns in the home are a danger to the family. If guns are kept in the house, store the gun and ammunition in two separate locations, and keep each of them locked up.

ALWAYS… put the baby in a car seat while driving! The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain facing backwards until at least age 2. Your baby has outgrown the infant carrier if their head is above the top or their feet protrude below the bottom. Now is the time to get a convertible 5-point harness and install it to be rear facing.

Potomac Pediatrics will always be fully focused on helping your child and you to overcome any healthcare hurdle, with innovative, comprehensive and compassionate care.

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