The ability to hear a baby has been formed since he was still in the mother's stomach, which is around the age of 23-27 weeks in the womb. Therefore, it is not surprising that many pregnant women are advised to talk or sing to their babies in the womb.
Because the baby can start listening since he is still in the womb, the mother can begin to introduce him to the sound since he was pregnant. This method can be one step so that the baby begins to recognize the mother's voice, as well as a way to strengthen the relationship between mother and baby.
Infant Hearing Development Stage
The formation of the ear as a hearing organ begins in the 4th to 5th week of pregnancy, along with the formation of the face, brain, nose and eyes. Then at 18 weeks' gestation, then the baby's hearing process begins to function.
When entering the second trimester of pregnancy, the baby in the womb begins to hear the sound of the mother's heartbeat, movement of air in the lungs, bowel sounds, and blood flow in the mother's body. Until the gestational age of 23-27 weeks, the baby in the womb is able to hear the mother's voice and its surroundings.
The following are the stages of developing a baby's ability to hear as he gets older:
1. Newborns
Newborns can recognize the mother's voice and begin to hear the sounds around him. He may also be surprised when he hears new voices around him, because the sound he had never heard while in the mother's womb.
2. Baby 3 months
At this age, the baby's five senses are very sensitive to things around him, including smell, hearing, and language spoken by the mother. Sometimes he also responds by making a few sounds. At this age the baby also starts trying to "talk" to those around him.
3. Babies 4-5 months
At this age, the ability to hear in infants continues to develop until he is able to respond to the mother's speech or song with a funny smile. Not only that, babies aged 4 months have also begun to chatter a word or two.
4. Babies 6-7 months
At the age of 6-7 months, babies are increasingly active in finding the origin of the sounds they hear, be it the sound of their parents or the sounds of certain objects, such as toys and television sounds. In addition, the baby will also chatter or respond with a smile when he hears a familiar sound.
5. Babies 8-10 months
At the age of 8-10 months, babies have begun to recognize and understand words that are often spoken by people around them, such as "ball", "bottle", and "toy".
Do not stop there, at this age, babies also recognize the distinctive voice of their mother and father, even other people whose voices he often hears.
6. Baby 1 year
As the baby gets older, the baby's knowledge related to language that he often hears also develops. At this age, babies can already communicate and say "yes" or "no", and start saying a few short sentences. 1-year-old baby is also able to recognize children's songs that he often hears.
Examination of Hearing Senses in Newborns
To ensure that the baby's ability to hear is normal, it is necessary to have a hearing screening test early. This examination will usually be done by a doctor before the baby enters 1 month of age.
This examination is important to do especially on babies who have a family history of hearing loss, low APGAR values, born prematurely, or born to mothers who have been infected during pregnancy.
If the baby's hearing screening test results first show that there is a hearing loss, then this examination will be repeated 3 months later. This re-hearing screening examination will be accompanied by physical examination of the ear and monitoring of growth and development.
If after the second test the baby still seems to have hearing loss, the doctor will take further steps to treat the disorder. This treatment can be with physiotherapy and special exercises to encourage the baby's listening ability.
Parents can support the ability to hear the baby in the womb by asking him to talk or play soothing music in order to support its optimal development.
If in its development the baby has a hearing loss, immediately consult a pediatrician to get the right treatment.
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