When did...?

Question

your baby start to make baby sounds? My nephew is 8 months and he doesn't make a single sound except when he cries. One of my niece on the other hand is only 5 months and she already makes baby talk. Is something wrong with him?

Answer 1

I would take him to the family doctor and have the chemical embalances checked in his head. But dont get to worried because some kids just start later or earlyer than others.

Answer 2

Here's a page on babycenter that talks about language development and when you should be concerned:

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babydevelopment/6573.html

A few points it makes:

4 to 6 months
At this stage, your child will start to babble, combining consonants and vowels (such as "baba" or "yaya"). The first "mama" or "dada" may slip out now and then. Though it's sure to melt your heart, your baby doesn't equate those words with you quite yet. That comes later, when he's almost a year old.

7 to 12 months
When he babbles and vocalizes now, your baby will sound as if he's making sense. That's because he's trying out tones and patterns similar to the ones you use. Foster his babbling by talking to him and reading to him.

When to be concerned
You're the best person to gauge your child's speech development. If he's showing any of the signs listed below and you feel concerned, it's a good idea to discuss the possibility of a language delay or hearing problem with your child's doctor.

If it seems necessary, your doctor will refer your child to a pediatric speech-language pathologist for an evaluation. (A searchable directory of certified therapists can be found on the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Web site.) Alternatively, your doctor's office, daycare provider, or local school might be able to direct you to an early intervention program in your area — usually coordinated through the county or public school system — that will provide free screening for language problems.

Some signs to look out for:

6 to 12 months
Your baby isn't making (or even attempting to make) any sounds or eye contact with you, or stops babbling at around 6 months.

13 to 18 months
Your child isn't saying any words by 15 months (including "mama" or "dada"), didn't babble before his first birthday, is unable to point to any body parts, or you still can't understand a word he's saying by 18 months.


If your nephew is getting regular pediatric checkups, his parents should definitely bring up his lack of vocalizing if it's not something the doctor has already spoken about with them. Do you know if they have already discussed this with the doctor? If not, or if you know that they are not taking him for regular appointments, please encourage them to do so. The earlier the intervention if there's a problem, the better off your nephew will be and better able to catch up with his peers.

Answer 3

By 8 months, the baby should be making some sort of sounds. I would check w/ the doctor just to be on the safe side.

Answer 4

Has anyone taken him for a hearing test? You might want to try that. That does not sound normal at all.