Sometimes having a baby can feel like you're in competition with every other parent in the world. After all, some adults can get pretty hung up on the age at which their children hit certain developmental milestones. (Seriously, some of them would probably place bets on whose kid will be potty-trained first. It gets real.) That said, sometimes these milestones provide other parents with reasons for concern. For instance, you may wonder: is it OK if my baby is 6 months and not talking?
First, it's helpful to understand the general timelines at which babies develop the power of speech. As noted in WebMD, most babies will babble by the age of 6 months. Although speech that you can understand is still a few months away, most babies can make up some nonsense syllables by this stage.
So what if your little one is not making any language-like sounds by this point? You may approach this dilemma with cautious concern. As noted in Baby Center, if your child is not making any vocalizations by the age of 6 months, then you may want to mention it to your pediatrician. Granted, all children grow and develop at individual paces. But as noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), babies who do not make vowel sounds by the 6 month mark may be exhibiting signs of developmental delay. Only a doctor can help you tell for certain whether this is the case for your little one, so it's best to let your physician know right away.
At this stage, all you can really do is watch and wait. As noted in Kids Health, an infant who makes no vocalizations or appears unresponsive to sounds may be displaying signs of delayed speech or language development. Or, it may just mean your kid is a late bloomer. Again, because this is an excellent reason to err on the side of caution, visiting a healthcare provider, even at this early stage, is crucial. Hopefully you and your kid will learn everything you need to know at the checkup, so you can move forward from there.
