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Expert Q&A

	By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist

How does language develop from birth to 3 months of age?

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. 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." 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.

By 3 months, your baby may start to smile. After such a positive connection, you will interact with your baby more by using words and facial expressions to encourage another smile. She may respond to your interactions by smiling and making sounds. You should follow your instincts and repeat these sounds to begin the process of language modeling.

"As your baby begins to coo, imitate him," recommends Sharon Frank, M.A., CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist in private practice and mother of 4-year-old Joey. "This will tell your baby that you're listening to him, and it will also encourage him to make the sounds."

Also at this age, a variety of vocal intonation patterns are used, and your baby learns to interpret the inflection and tone of your voice. She is recognizing the differences between your words, for example, when you ask a question or make a statement.

What can you do to encourage speech skills? "In this stage, babies tune in to the parent's touch, facial expressions and vocalizations more than the parent's words," says Frank. "Focus on exaggerating your facial expressions and changing vocal pitch when talking with your baby."

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