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.
Why not chat to other parents
about this, or other topics, by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternately, if you want to meet other parents in
your area with similar age babies, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your
area, or join or start one of our groups.
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.
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Last Modified: 25/06/2008