Watching your baby grow is one of the most satisfying and happy times of your life. After the really harrowing experience of the “terrible twos”, your baby is now a preschooler. Your child develops an understanding, starts listening and responding to you, and it’s time for your baby to explore his imagination.

As a mother, you should be concerned about what is expected of your three year old baby. Let’s help you out with some of the statistics that your baby should achieve at the age of three, indicating her proper development.

Weight:

The weight range varies for boys and girls. It should be between 25.25 to 38 pounds for girls; whereas it is expected to be between 26.5 to 38.5 pounds for boys. The BMI or body mass index is a measure of body fat and instrumental in determining if the baby is obese or not.

Baby Care:

Regular visits to the doctor are a must to keep the baby healthy and immunized against several chronic diseases. The doctor might conduct a checkup for anemia, lead poisoning, tuberculosis and other conditions. The immunizations are also recommended by the age of three-

• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine- 4 doses
• Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV)- 3 doses
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine- 1 dose
• Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV)- 3 doses
• Chickenpox (varicella) vaccine- 1 dose
• Rotavirus vaccine (RV)- 2 or 3 doses.
• Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV, PPSV)- 4 doses
• Hepatitis A vaccine (HAV)- 1 or 2 doses

Flu vaccine should also be administered right before the flu season begins.

Food:

• At this age it is best to switch to skimmed milk or 1% milk. For the fat requirements of the baby olive oil, nuts and cheese can be given.

• Whole grains must be preferred to half grains. There must be a balance of nutrients in their diet, and there must be a substantial variety of foods.