Verified by Edna Skopljak MD
Edna Skopljak is a medical doctor and an editor at BJBMS medical journal. She graduated from the University of Sarajevo School of Science and Technology.
Babbling means making noises that sound like talking. It’s typical for babies to start babbling, repeating sounds such as “ba,” “ma,” or “da.” Babbling indicates that the baby’s speech and language skills are developing. When a baby is in their sixth to the ninth month, it will start to babble. But in some cases, babies don’t start babbling as expected.
Reasons why babies don’t babble
Developmental delays
Some babies experience developmental delays. It is when a baby is lagging behind the others. Because of these delays, babies may have problems in language or speech, a reason why they don’t babble.
Hearing issues
Due to some hearing problems, such as ear fluids or other types of hearing loss, a baby may not babble. Hearing loss may be genetic or due to maternal infections. Whatever the case may be, hearing issues may affect the development of language skills.
Chronic illnesses
Chronic illnesses can also contribute to delays in language development. These may cause their inability to understand what others may be saying or communicating to them. Thus, a baby with chronic illnesses may not babble.
Autism is an example; according to researchers, babies with autism babble at a slower rate than other babies. Also, they are found to have difficulty making sounds. Thus instead of babbling on their sixth to the ninth month, they’ll do it later.
Solutions for Babies who don’t babble yet
Encourage vocal play with toys.
You can start by introducing your child to toys that make sounds like rattles. Doing so can encourage your baby to babble and explore how their voice works. Investing in toys like these is worthwhile, especially when you hear your baby’s first babble.
Talk to your baby
A constant talk with your baby will help them learn how spoken language works. Be sure to do this positively and encouragingly. Aside from talking to them, you can also try reading books and singing songs to them. This can help build up their language skills.
Encourage imitation
Encourage your baby to imitate the sounds you make by encouraging and praising them when they do so correctly. Imitating can accelerate learning, especially in speech development. By inspiring them to imitate you, you’ll find your baby babbling in no time.
Visit a specialist
Finally, if your baby has hearing issues or suffers from chronic illnesses, it is essential to visit a specialist for advice. They will advise you on the best course of action to take and can help your baby make progress with their language skills. They will also provide the needed support and resources that you and your baby need.
Conclusion
Although it is alarming that your baby is not babbling as it should be, solutions are abundant and can help them develop their language skills. With the proper encouragement, support from their parents and advice from a specialist, your baby will start babbling. Just remember to give them a positive environment where they can feel the safety and security they need to develop their language skills.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/health/12klass.html
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Language-Development-4-to-7-Months.aspx
https://www.weetalkers.com/blog/how-to-encourage-babbling
https://www.spectrumnews.org/opinion/babbling-delay-may-be-early-marker-of-autism/
