Baby milestones: Hearing

Being able to hear is very important for babies, as listening to what’s being said is one of the ways they learn about the world around them. They’ll attempt their first bursts of communication through cooing, babbling and eventually saying a first word.

This is roughly what your baby should be hearing or responding to in the first couple of years, but don’t panic if he’s a bit behind. All babies master certain skills at different times and it is perfectly normal for a child to learn something faster or slower than his peers.

At birth Babies can hear as soon as they’re born and can turn their heads towards you when you speak. He’ll recognize your voice from hearing it when he was in the uterus and it will soon become his favorite sound. By the end of the first month he should be able to react to your voice if he can’t see you and turn his head towards where the sound came from. See speaking to your baby.

By three months Your baby should startle at loud sounds and wake up at loud noises or talking. You may notice that he ’s soothed by the sound of your voice and smiles when you speak to him.

By three to six months Your baby will probably attempt a few cooing noises and looks around when he hears a new sound. He may be able to respond to ‘no’ or changes in the tone of your voice. If you give him toys that make sounds, such as rattles with bells on or soft toys that squeak, he’ll enjoy listening to the noises they make. He may be scared if someone has a loud voice he doesn’t recognize and may even begin to repeat a few sounds of the ahh–bah–cah variety.

By six to 10 months He can turn to hear very quiet noises if there are no distractions in the room and will turn at the sound of your voice even if you’re some distance away.

By 10-12 months He reacts when the phone rings and may even know a few common words like ‘cup’, ‘ball’ or ‘bye-bye’ though he probably can’t say them yet. He should be able to look at pictures if someone is pointing at them and may repeat sounds you make (uh-oh is a favorite). If you say, “come to mommy” he may respond by turning his head, or crawling/walking over. When he’s on his own, he carries on babbling. He may be able to respond to his name as he nears the 12-month mark.

By 12-15 months He should be able to point or look at something familiar if you draw his attention to it, for example, “where’s doggie?” may be met with a point, if doggie has been pointed out to him before. He may be able to say simple words like ‘milk’ or ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’, and will enjoy the sound his voice makes, often repeating the same sounds over and over again.

By 15-18 months He may be able to follow directions such as, ‘come here’ or ‘give me the truck’. He will speak in two to three word sentences and knows six to 20 words.

By 18-24 months At this age is should be able to understand simple yes and no questions like “are you thirsty?” and simple phrases such as, “it’s in your toy box”. He’ll love to be read to and can point to pictures when asked.

By 24-36 months ?He’ll probably be able to point to parts of his body and can understand phrases like ‘no more’. He’ll start to comprehend concepts such as hot and cold, high and low, big and small. He can follow directions such as ‘get your books’ and can probably sing nursery rhymes, talk clearly and be understood by strangers.

These are guidelines and every baby is different, so don’t be concerned if your child doesn’t reach any of them within the suggested age range. However, if your child has something wrong with his hearing it may interfere with his ability to communicate and learn, so it is important to treat any problems early. Most hospitals screen babies’ hearing with a series of simple tests before they go home but if your baby wasn’t screened ask your pediatrician to arrange it. If you have any reason to suspect all may not be well with your baby’s hearing, ask your pediatrician to refer you to an audiologist. Bear in mind that hearing loss can be temporary if your child has a bad cold or an ear infection.

How to boost hearing skills

You can’t improve your child’s hearing through activities but if you play often with him, you’ll probably notice if he doesn’t react to certain sounds and isn’t hearing properly.

- Try to encourage him to play with toys and books that make sounds and notice how he reacts to them.

- Hide behind a door and call out his name to see if he knows where the sound is coming from.

- Talk to your baby as much as possible, so he can hear the names of things in his world.

- Look at books with him and point out the objects and what the names of things are.

- Sing ‘action’ nursery rhymes with him so when he is old enough he can point to his ‘head, shoulders, knees and toes’.

See our feature on encouraging your child to talk. 

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The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.