18–20 months
Eighteen to twenty months: running, climbing and pretending
Movement is fast and fearless, words come more quickly, and pretend play begins.
Children at this age run, climb and want to do everything themselves. Vocabulary grows to 10–20 words or more and the first pretend games appear, such as feeding a doll. The 18-month check-up looks closely at speech, hearing and teeth.
Growth
Weight
9.5–13.3 kg
Length
80–88 cm
Typical range; your paediatrician tracks your child on a growth chart. Many toddlers eat less than parents expect yet grow normally, so the chart, not the plate, is the guide. Head growth has slowed but is still measured.
What your baby is learning
- Many children run (stiffly at first), climb onto chairs and the sofa, walk backwards and carry a toy while walking.
- Many children use 10–20 words or more, imitate new words readily, and point to several pictures in a book when you name them.
- Beginning to follow two-step instructions such as "take your shoes and bring them to me".
- Pretend play starts: feeding a doll or toy animal, putting it to sleep, stirring in an empty pot, "talking" on a toy phone.
- Using a spoon with more success, drinking from an open cup, helping to undress (pulling off socks and hat).
- Showing affection, bringing you things to share, and watching other children with interest, even if they play side by side rather than together.
Feeding
- Picky eating is normal between 18 and 24 months: appetite swings from day to day, and a new food is often refused ten times before it is accepted. Keep offering without forcing or bribing, and let your child decide how much to eat.
- Family meals: three meals and two snacks; serve a small portion of what everyone eats, with a familiar food alongside. Eat together without screens or distractions.
- Bottles should be finished by now; drinks go in a cup. Milk about two cups a day; water as the main drink; tea, if given at all, without sugar and not with meals, since it reduces iron absorption.
- Iron-rich foods several times a week (meat, liver, legumes, eggs), iodised salt in small amounts, and no whole grapes, nuts, seeds or hard sweets until about 4 years.
Sleep
About 11–14 hours: one afternoon nap of 1.5–2.5 hours and 10–12 hours at night. A predictable routine matters most. Some children start climbing out of the cot: lower the mattress fully, remove bumpers and large toys, and when climbing becomes a fall risk consider moving to a low bed with a guard.
Check-ups and vaccines
- The 18-month check-up at the polyclinic covers weight, length, head circumference, speech and hearing, teeth, gait and a developmental screen. Bring your questions and a list of the words your child says.
- Brush teeth twice a day with a smear of fluoride toothpaste the size of a grain of rice, and let the dentist see the teeth once a year. No bottle or sweet drink at bedtime.
- No vaccines are scheduled at 18 months in the national calendar, so this is a good time to catch up on anything missed; the patronage nurse can check the vaccination card.
- If the blood count showed anaemia, iron treatment usually runs for about three months; finish the course and repeat the test. Vitamin D is usually continued through the winter months.
Play and everyday tips
- Climbing frames, slides and steps at the playground, kicking and throwing balls, and plenty of walking outdoors every day.
- Props for pretend play: a doll with a spoon and cup, toy dishes, a toy phone, a cloth to wipe the table. Join in, and let your child lead.
- Simple peg puzzles, blocks to build and knock down, crayons and a chunky brush with water on paper.
- Books every day, now with simple stories; pause so your child can point and name. Sing the songs your parents sang to you, in Uzbek, Russian or both.
- Water and sand are still favourites: a basin on the floor, cups, funnels and a sieve. Never leave a child alone near water, even a bucket.
- A climbing child means new risks: window and balcony guards, a gate on the stairs, hot tea and the kettle out of reach, the tandir and stove supervised, medicines and chemicals locked, a car seat on every trip, a hand held near traffic. No screens before 2.
Call the doctor or 103 if
- Fever with a stiff neck, a rash that does not fade under pressure, a seizure or extreme drowsiness.
- Difficulty breathing, or a sudden cough and choking after eating or playing with small objects.
- Severe dehydration during vomiting or diarrhoea, or a child who cannot be woken properly.
- Swallowing a battery, magnet, medicine or household chemical: go to hospital at once.
- Development: not walking by 18 months, no words by 18 months, not pointing or sharing interest, not responding to their name, or losing skills.
- A limp that lasts more than a day, a squint, or a sudden refusal to use an arm or leg.
- If you notice any of these, call 103 or go to the polyclinic or hospital straight away.
Trust your instinct. If your baby seems unwell to you, call 103 or go to the polyclinic.
Monthly updates in Telegram
Tell the bot your baby's birth date and it will send a development digest every month, with the vaccines due next.
- ✓A short digest every new week
- ✓Countdown to your due date
- ✓Reminders about upcoming checkups
- ✓Kick counter and contraction timer