Baby Communication Milestones From Birth to 12 Months: What Most Babies Do, and When to Ask

What counts as communication in the first year?

Communication in the first year includes every way a baby connects with you: crying, looking at your face, smiling, cooing, babbling, laughing, and later, gestures and first words. Understanding develops alongside these skills.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) describes the first signs of communication as a baby learning that a cry brings food, comfort, and companionship. Newborns begin to recognize important sounds, such as the voice of a parent, and by 6 months most babies recognize the basic sounds of their native language. [4]

Milestone lists usually split skills into hearing and understanding on one side and making sounds or "talking" on the other. Social milestones, such as smiling at you or playing peek-a-boo, overlap heavily with communication in the first year. [1] [3]

What communication milestones do most babies reach by each age?

The table below lists the CDC's language and communication milestones for the first year, with a few related social milestones. Each item is a skill that most children (75% or more) are expected to do by that age; many babies do these things earlier. [1]

The 15-month row is included because first words beyond "mama" and "dada" sit there on the CDC checklist, just past the first birthday.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) uses different age bands. Its list for 10 to 12 months includes pointing, waving, and showing or giving objects, trying to copy sounds you make, responding to simple words and phrases like "Go bye-bye," and saying one or two words, like mama, dada, hi, and bye. [3]

Why do different milestone charts give different ages?

Charts differ mainly because they answer different questions. Some describe when an average baby reaches a skill. The CDC checklists describe when most babies have reached it.

When the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics revised the checklists in 2022, the working group chose milestones that at least 75% of children would be expected to reach by each checkup age. They explained that lists based on the median, when only half of children have a skill, can encourage families and clinicians to wait and see. The same revision removed separate "warning signs" because not reaching a milestone that most children are expected to have reached already warrants a closer look and consideration of screening. [2]

That is why first words can appear at about 12 months on one chart and on the 15-month CDC checklist. ASHA and NIDCD describe one or two words around the first birthday, while the CDC places "tries to say one or two words besides mama or dada" at 15 months, when most children are expected to be doing it. [1] [2] [3] [4]

The CDC is also clear that its milestone materials are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools. [1]

When do babies start babbling, and why does it matter?

Most babies begin canonical babbling, meaning well-formed syllables such as "ba-ba" or "da-da," somewhere between about 5 and 10 months of age. [6] [7] By 9 months, the CDC expects most babies to make many different sounds like "mamamama" and "bababababa." [1]

Researchers pay attention to babbling because these syllables are building blocks for words. A 2019 review found that this age range is fairly consistent across many languages, including English, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, and German, although individual babies vary considerably. [6]

Late babbling has been linked with later difficulties in several studies:

• Later vocabulary: the review describes research in which babies who were not producing canonical syllables at 10 to 12 months had smaller expressive vocabularies at 18, 24, and 30 months. [6]
• Hearing loss: babies with hearing loss started canonical babbling later than hearing babies in studies summarized in the same review. [6]
• Other conditions: in a study of 1,536 infants at high risk for developmental problems, checked at about 10 months corrected age, late babbling was uncommon but was often linked with genetic, neurological, anatomical, or physiological conditions. More than half of the late babblers had no prior significant medical diagnosis when the late babbling was found. The authors suggested late babbling may predict later speech, language, and reading problems. [7]

Late babbling is not a diagnosis. In the 2019 review, studies of babies later diagnosed with autism, Rett syndrome, or fragile X syndrome were few and inconsistent. These babies were less likely to babble canonically on average, but some reached the milestone on time. The authors called babbling a promising marker for further research, not a test. [6] If your baby is not babbling with syllables by around 10 months, the practical step is to mention it to your child's doctor and ask about a hearing check.

Do gestures count as communication?

Yes. Gestures are one of the main ways babies communicate before they talk. On the CDC checklists, most babies lift their arms to be picked up by 9 months, wave bye-bye by 12 months, and point to ask for something or get help by 15 months. [1] ASHA's list for 10 to 12 months includes pointing, waving, and showing or giving objects to others. [3]

Gestures, eye contact, and shared attention are also part of what clinicians look at when they consider autism. Our guide to early signs of autism in toddlers explains those signs and what research says about them. This article focuses on typical communication development, not autism screening.

How much do babies vary?

A lot. ASHA notes that each child develops uniquely, even within the same family, and may meet some milestones earlier or later than others. [3] NIDCD describes a natural progression that children follow at different rates. [4] CDC milestones are set for the age when at least 75% of children are expected to have a given skill; some babies are still working on it at that age. [2]

For babies born early, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises using a premature baby's corrected age during the first 2 years. To find it, subtract the number of weeks your baby was born early from their age in weeks since birth. A baby born at 32 weeks who is now 4 months old has a corrected age of about 2 months, and that is the age to compare with milestone lists. [11] CDC checklists also ask whether your baby was born prematurely, so tell your child's doctor. [1]

For families who speak more than one language, ASHA encourages parents to talk to their child in the languages they are most comfortable using, and notes that early exposure helps children learn language best. [3]

How does hearing affect early communication?

Babies learn to talk largely by hearing the people around them, so hearing problems can delay communication. The CDC says hearing loss can affect a child's ability to develop communication, language, and social skills, and that children who start services earlier are more likely to reach their full potential. [5]

U.S. guidance follows "1-3-6" benchmarks: hearing screening before 1 month of age, a full diagnostic hearing evaluation by an audiologist before 3 months if a baby does not pass, and enrollment in early intervention before 6 months if hearing loss is found. [5] NIDCD notes that a speech or language delay is sometimes caused by hearing loss, and that a hearing test is often part of a speech and language evaluation. [4]

Passing the newborn screening does not rule out later problems. Some hearing loss develops or gets worse after birth. The CDC advises that if you think your child might have hearing loss, you should ask the doctor for a hearing test as soon as possible. Hearing tests for babies are not painful. [5]

How can parents support communication in the first year?

You do not need a special routine to connect with your baby. Notice their sounds, looks, and gestures, and respond in the moments you already share.

Two small laboratory studies suggest why this may matter:

• In a study of 30 babies around 8 months old, mothers were asked to respond by smiling, moving closer, and touching their baby. Half responded right after their baby made a sound; the other half gave the same number of responses at times that did not match their baby's sounds. Babies whose mothers responded promptly made more mature, speech-like sounds, and the change lasted after the session. [8]
• In a later study of babies around 9 and a half months old, babies whose mothers spoke right after they babbled began building patterns from their mother's speech into their own babbling. Babies who heard their mother's speech at times unrelated to their babbling did not. [9]

Both studies were small and took place over a short time in a lab. They help us understand how babies respond during an interaction; they cannot tell us whether a particular routine changes long-term language outcomes.

Practical ideas from CDC and ASHA guidance include: [1] [3]

• Respond when your baby makes sounds. Smile, talk back, and copy their sounds to take turns "talking."
• Talk about what you are doing during feeding, dressing, and bathing.
• Name things your baby looks at or points to.
• When your baby babbles a sound, repeat it and add a simple word, such as "bababa... book!"
• Read, sing, and play games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.
• Limit screen time to video calls with loved ones. The CDC says screen time is not recommended for children younger than 2, because babies learn by talking, playing, and interacting with others. Our article on what screen time research shows covers this in more detail.

When should you talk with your child's doctor?

You can bring up a concern at any time, not just at a scheduled checkup. The CDC's advice is: "You know your child best. Don't wait." If your baby is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills they once had, or you have other concerns, talk with your child's doctor and ask about developmental screening. [1]

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that pediatric clinicians watch development at every well-child visit and use a standardized developmental screening test at the 9-, 18-, and 30-month visits. A concern raised at any visit should be followed by standardized screening or a direct referral to intervention and specialty care. [10] Our guide to what happens at well-child visits explains these visits.

Reasons to raise communication concerns promptly include:

• Your baby does not react to loud sounds or turn toward voices. [1] [3]
• Your baby is not meeting one or more milestones for their age, using corrected age if born early. [1] [11]
• Your baby is not babbling with syllables like "ba" or "da" by around 10 months. [6] [7]
• Your baby did not pass a hearing screening and has not had a full hearing test, or you have any worry about hearing. [5]
• Your baby has lost sounds, words, or other skills they used to have. Contact your child's doctor promptly if this happens. [1]
• Something feels off to you, even if you cannot name it. [1]

If you or the doctor remain concerned, the CDC suggests asking for a referral to a specialist and contacting your state's early intervention program. [1] In the U.S., you can contact early intervention yourself. Our guide on how to get early intervention services explains how.

What milestones can and cannot tell you

• Milestones are a guide for watching, not a test. The CDC says its checklists are not a substitute for standardized, validated screening tools. [1]
• One missed milestone is not a diagnosis. It is a reason to look more closely, often with a screening tool. [2]
• Some milestones rest on more data than others. About 80% of the revised CDC milestones had normative data from at least one source. Social-emotional and cognitive milestones had the least. [2]
• Babbling research is still developing. Studies of babbling in specific conditions are few, use different methods, and do not agree on details. [6]
• The responsiveness studies were small and short. They show how babies' sounds change in a session, not long-term effects. [8] [9]

What you can do now

1. Compare gently, using the right age. Look at the CDC milestones for your baby's age, using corrected age if they were born early. [1] [11] Our milestone checker can help you note what you have seen and prepare questions for your baby's doctor. It is a conversation aid, not a screening tool.
2. Respond and take turns. Answer your baby's sounds, copy them, and talk through daily routines. [1] [3] [8] [9]
3. Keep an eye on hearing. Confirm that your baby had a newborn hearing screening and any follow-up test. Ask for a hearing test if you are unsure. [5]
4. Write down what you notice. A few notes about sounds, gestures, and anything you are unsure about can help you remember what to say at the next visit. This is a practical suggestion, not a test.
5. Ask about screening if you are worried. You do not need to wait for the 9-month visit. [1] [10]
6. Act quickly if skills are lost. Contact your child's doctor promptly if your baby loses sounds, words, or other skills. [1]

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

In the first year, babies move from crying and cooing to babbling, gestures, and often a first word. The CDC milestones show what most babies do by each age, and missing one is a reason to ask about screening, not a diagnosis. Responding to your baby's sounds and gestures is a simple way to support communication. Ask for a hearing test if you have any doubt, and contact your child's doctor promptly if your baby loses skills. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]