Hearing is the first sense babies develop while they are still in the womb. They can hear sounds and their mother’s voice is the clearest to them. After birth, babies gradually pick up on sounds around them and by the time they are one month old, their hearing is fully developed. At this point, they hear and respond to their parents’ voices because they are comfortable and familiar with them. It may take time for them to respond to other sounds. Because hearing continues to develop as babies are born, they usually hear immediately by the time they are one year old.
Development of hearing ability of children after birth
1. Two months to newborn
Babies learn to distinguish their mother’s voice from others while in the womb and respond to her before others. Therefore, newborn babies respond perfectly to their mother’s voice, especially when comforting her or singing lullabies to them. Gradually, they pay attention to the sounds around them and respond to highly resonant sounds. Children making sudden and loud noises.
2. In three months
At 3 months, hearing should be fully developed and babies are more alert and receptive. For example, your baby may hear your voice or hear your voice. Sometimes they respond by making loud noises; They have their way of developing the way you speak and your speech patterns.
3. Since four months
Within this age group, children respond to sounds enthusiastically. They may also smile when called by parents or their caregivers. They imitate sounds they hear or imitate people as they speak. By the seventh month, babies will fully hear and respond to unfamiliar sounds.
4. At twelve months
The final hearing stage takes place in a year. Your baby can understand and recognize and respond to subtle sounds and sounds. For example, the baby may recognize and respond to his favorite cartoon voices or the sounds of his favorite songs.
What you can do to develop your child’s listening ability
As a parent, it is your duty to motivate your child to achieve the listening stage. Here are ways you can help develop your child’s listening abilities.
1. Interact with your child frequently and keep them around you while you interact with your partner.
2. Sing lullabies and nursery rhymes to your child daily to help them develop listening and concentration skills.
3. Because children relax and become comfortable by hearing their parents’ voices, read to them at different intensities to find out if they can distinguish and hear low and high-pitched sounds or voices.
Screening for infants
It is advisable to monitor your baby’s hearing ability by studying his reaction to different sounds and comparing the results with the auditory development stage above. If you notice any delayed developments or possible hearing problems, consult a pediatrician for a checkup. Hearing checkups allow early detection of hearing problems and parents are provided with support and beneficial information on how to help their child.