#AskTheExpert My baby is 15 months old and hasn't started to walk by herself.. And she is soo reluctant to eat food and she likes to eat dust, soil etc. what should we do

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Accepted Answer

Babies start taking steps around 9 to 12 months and walk independently around 14 to 15 months. But some perfectly normal babies may be slow in walking and walk independently only around 16 to 18 months. This is common. And u need not worry. Eating things around in normal in toddlers. You can advice the child it's not food. However if ur child continues to eat any non food items for a long time it could be due to a condition called pica(a tendency or craving to eat substances other than normal food). this condition may be due to some deficiency like iron or zinc. consulting with ur pediatrician and getting the body element levels measured could help. at home whenever you see him eat any such non food items, try offering him a teething toy or steamed carrots to chew on. tell things that he tries to eat are not food but he can chew on carrots. keep the carrots or teething toy handy, so that you can encourage him to use it everytime he puts anything else in his mouth. keep encouraging and appreciate him every time he uses the teething toy or carrots