7 Month Old Not Babbling Yet

[JaneDoe]

I'm not sure if I'm over reacting or not, but my 7 month old is not babbling yet. He makes rasberries and squeals, laughter and breathy vowel sounds, but he doesn't make any consonant sounds.

As some background, he flunked his newborn hearing screening in his right ear due to fluid being present since birth. He's had a thorough hearing test by an audiologist ( I don't remember what thoses tests were called) and we learned that he had mild to moderate hearing loss in his right ear because of the fluid. At four months, he had a myringotomy (sp?) to remove the fluid. Immediately after the procedure, the audiologist performed another test and determined that he had normal hearing in his right ear once the fluid was removed. At a six week follow up appointment, the ENT found that some of the fluid had returned.

I'm not sure if I'm being a little hyper-vigilent about his language development because of his hearing issues. However, all of the books I've been reading say that he should be babbling by now. We have another appointment with the ENT next Wednesday and I will mention this to him. My son's next well-child check-up is not until his first birthday and I don't know if this is something that I should call the ped about earliar.

What do you think? Is this anything to get concerned about yet?

IMO, don't worry. My 8 month old daughter just started babbling (and not even that much at all. We're talking maybe 5 minutes total all day long). She just finished figuring out how to crawl all over the house so I am guessing that she has been focusing on her motor skills for the last month or so. I *might* start to worry as he approaches his 1rst birthday (and even then, I don't know. It would depend if he understands most of what you tell him at that point. If so, I wouldn't do anything).
My other daughter wasn't much of a talker until she was 2 years old. Not a lot of babbling and still a lot of "uh uh" at her 2nd birthday. She will NOT be quiet now

It seems that my definitions of babbling and words, etc are usually more defined than my pediatricians. In other words, I'm usually more concerned about it. Both my kids were late talkers and caught up and then some.

I hope his check-up goes smoothly!

[JaneDoe]

IMO, don't worry. My 8 month old daughter just started babbling (and not even that much at all. We're talking maybe 5 minutes total all day long). She just finished figuring out how to crawl all over the house so I am guessing that she has been focusing on her motor skills for the last month or so. I *might* start to worry as he approaches his 1rst birthday (and even then, I don't know. It would depend if he understands most of what you tell him at that point. If so, I wouldn't do anything).
My other daughter wasn't much of a talker until she was 2 years old. Not a lot of babbling and still a lot of "uh uh" at her 2nd birthday. She will NOT be quiet now

Thank you. My son is soo much more active than my dd was at his age. He rolled for the first time at 3 weeks and then he rolled from his back to front at 2 1/2 months, and he is already crawling. My dd didn't crawl until 9 months. My husband has been saying the same thing as you - that it seems Aidan is putting all of his efforts in moving and the babbling/talking might not be his priority right now. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[Ames]

Boys usually talk later anyway. We girls are more verbal from the start

[JaneDoe]

Update:: last Sunday, I was feeding my son lunch and he starts belting out "ma ma ma ma". He's been doing it everyday since! Both my Dh and I were relieved to hear it.

He let me know in his own way, that I had already underestimated him. Poor guy!

He let me know in his own way, that I had already underestimated him. Poor guy!

No you didn't. You were a properly worried mamamamama! And he let you know, in his own way, that he's okay.

I read once that the difference in life after you have kids is that from that point forward you will ALWAYS wear your heart on the outside. We can't help but be worried -- it's our job.

Yeah! Even better that it was "mamas".

[pstone]

I will try very hard not to hijack this thread....VERY HARD

I worry about everything, everything, I mean everything....I don't remember my little one doing much babbling at all at 8mos....

now at 2, he has a decent vocab, but you would not understand but 15% of it....

I worry, but everyone tells me not to....

[migirl]

That's great that he's making some progress, and how nice that it was 'mamamama'!!

Peter, I completely sympathize. I could drive myself crazy with all of the "milestone" stuff (baby should be doing X activity by Y months/years). At almost 12 months Jack is still not clapping, waving, or playing peek-a-boo (I know, I know, totally silly things) but those are all apparently 9-month milestones and since he's almost 12 months I worry a little in the back of my mind (although I have no idea what the ramifications are that he's not doing them yet - social issues? I don't know). I worried that he wasn't babbling when the books said he should, I worried that he wasn't crawling/cruising/walking when the books said he should...I worry about everything too. I guess it goes with the territory.