The term "baby talk" usually brings to mind toddlers using that adorable broken language that seems to be all their own. But did you know that language development begins at birth? Here, a speech pathologist answers questions about the cycle of language development from Baby's first day to first birthday.

It's hard to believe, but your newborn is preparing to talk! "From the moment he was born, your baby started communicating his basic needs to you," says Mindy Hudon, a speech and language pathologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). "At birth, your baby's first cry meant, 'Hey, I'm cold!' You responded to his needs and warmed him. That was Baby's first form of communication. As he continues to grow, he will start to make sounds, understand and use words and eventually participate in complex conversations. And you won't have to wait too much longer for all of this to happen!"

During the first few weeks of Baby's life, the two of you are getting to know each other. "When your baby cries, she changes her vocal volume and pitch to communicate her needs," Hudon says. "You learn to recognize that your baby is hungry, uncomfortable, wet, tired or content by interpreting the difference between her cries. Your newborn baby hears sounds and startles or awakens to noise. By day three, she may be able to recognize her mother's voice and may even stop crying when she hears it. On the ninth day of life, she may start to track sounds with her eyes. She may turn her head toward her mother's voice and stop an activity if she hears an unfamiliar sound."

From birth to about 3 months, your baby may be heard repeating vowel-like sounds. "This is known as 'cooing' and is the beginning of her 'vocal play,'" Hudon says. "Vocal play eventually turns into the use of speech sounds. Research indicates that a baby is born with the ability to learn and use any language. Of course, your baby will only understand and use the language(s) that she hears the most."

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