Hearing: The first two important years
The first two year is the time during which hearing develops in children. It is important for parents to be able to recognize signs of a hearing problem as early as possible and seek medical attention if there are any concerns.
Here is a guide of signs of normal hearing development by age through the first 2 years of life:
By 4 months of age a baby should:
- Move or react when someone speaks or in response to any noise
- Startle when there is a very loud noise
By seven months a baby should:
- Turn his/her head towards a voice or a noise(when a parent calls even without being seen)
- Stir or move in response to a noise or voice
- Startle when there is a large sound
By 9 months a baby should:
- Turn his/her head to find out where a sound is coming from
- Turn around if a parent is calling from behind
- Stir or move in response to voice or any sound
- Startle when there is a very loud noise
At 12 months a baby should:
- Turn his/her head in all directions and show an interest in a person’s voice or a particular sound
- Repeat sounds that parents make
- Startle in response to a loud noise
At 2 years of age a child should:
- Be able to point out a part of his body when asked without seeing that person’s lips move
- Be able to point to the right picture when asked(for example: Where is the cat? Where is the bird?)
- Be able to do simple tasks like give you one of his/her toys when asked, without seeing that person’s lips move.
If your child never does these things at the appropriate age as listed above or if you have any doubts about your child’s hearing,speak to your doctor.