12 month old baby

What a 12 month old baby is doing

The HSE describes a twelve-month-old who may take their first steps without help, and who uses index finger and thumb to pick up small objects. "May" is the operative word on walking, and it stays that way for months yet.

Language becomes recognisable. Your baby may use "dada" and "mama" in the right situations, point at objects to show you something, respond to their name more consistently, understand more everyday words and respond to simple instructions such as "come here" — though the HSE notes this will be inconsistent for a while, especially when they are tired or distracted. They will enjoy rhymes and songs when you do the actions.

In play, expect solitary play, offering a toy to their own reflection in a mirror, removing a lid to find a toy, and throwing toys on the floor and following them with their eyes. The American Academy of Pediatrics publishes its own twelve-month list, and the overlap is the point: different bodies describe the same broad picture in different words, and neither is a timetable.

The one year vaccinations

Three vaccines are offered at one year on the current UK schedule, and this is the part worth reading carefully, because the schedule changed on 1 January 2026 and eligibility now depends on when your child was born.

As the NHS lists it, at one year a child is offered the MMRV vaccine, first dose, for children born on or after 1 January 2025; the pneumococcal vaccine, second dose; and the MenB vaccine, third dose. There is then a further appointment at one year and six months, where a fourth dose of the 6-in-1 is offered to children born on or after 1 July 2024, and a first or second dose of MMRV to children born on or after 1 July 2024. Children born between 1 September 2022 and 31 December 2024 are offered a first or second MMRV dose later, at three years and four months, alongside the 4-in-1 pre-school booster.

Those birth-date rules are not decoration. A chart printed before 2026, or one written for another country, will give you the wrong answer for your child. If you are unsure which cohort they fall into, your GP surgery holds the record, and the NHS advises contacting them to catch up on anything missed. Our vaccination schedule tool lays the dates out against your child's birthday.

On what follows, NHS inform lists fever, rash, diarrhoea and vomiting as possible after the MMRV vaccine, and notes that a rash after MenB is more common in children aged 12 to 23 months. The general picture applies to any vaccination: swelling, pain, redness, bruising or a hard lump where the injection was given, sleepiness, irritability, being upset and less appetite than usual, usually passing within a couple of days.

Cows milk and the end of formula

The feeding rules change at the birthday. The NHS states that cows' milk can be introduced as a main drink from twelve months, and that formula milks are not needed once your baby is twelve months old — that includes first infant formula, follow-on formula, growing-up milks and toddler milks. Breastfeeding has no cut-off, and the NHS notes the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding for up to two years or longer.

Bottles change too. Once your baby is one year old, feeding from a bottle should be discouraged. An open cup, or a free-flow cup without a valve, helps your child learn to sip and is better for their teeth, and comfort sucking sweetened drinks from a bottle causes tooth decay because the drink stays in contact with the teeth for longer. Our guide to cups, beakers and dropping bottles covers how to make that transition without a fight.

Not walking at 12 months

Common, and usually not a problem on its own. First steps are listed as something a baby "may" do at twelve months, and plenty take longer. What the HSE actually flags at twelve months is different and more specific: contact a GP or public health nurse if your child has no form of independent mobility at all — crawling, commando crawling or bottom shuffling — if they are not pulling to stand from a sitting position, or if they lose skills they had before.

The distinction is between a baby who moves their own way and has not yet walked, and a baby who is not moving. The first is variation. The second is worth a conversation, and the HSE's advice is to contact your GP or public health nurse rather than wait for the next scheduled review.

Sleep after the first birthday

The NHS figure changes here: most babies will sleep around 12 to 15 hours in total after their first birthday, including daytime naps. That is a total across 24 hours, not a night-time target, and there is still no published nap schedule for any age.

Disruption around now usually has a cause attached — new skills to practise, teething, or a routine that has drifted. The NHS is clear that sleep patterns keep changing as a child grows, so expect to keep adjusting rather than to arrive somewhere final.

Food at 12 months

Your child should be working towards eating the same foods as the rest of the family, in smaller portions. Honey becomes allowed after the first birthday. Added salt and sugar are still best avoided, whole nuts remain a choking risk, and small round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes are still quartered. Our guides to foods to avoid under one and to portion sizes cover the detail.

When to get urgent help

Get urgent advice if your child has a high temperature alongside other signs of illness, is feeding or drinking much less than usual, has far fewer wet nappies, is unusually floppy or difficult to wake, or their breathing looks like hard work.