Expert: Valerie Herskowitz - 12/1/2010

Question
I wrote you a question you answered before but then deleted the e-mail and
can't find the answer now to ask a follow-up question so I'll just send a new
one.

You say there is a range of normal. Well what would you say about babbling?
What is the range of normal? My son is 8,5 months now and doesn't babble
consonants and chains yet like the books say they do at this age.

He does make alot of sound and does make sounds/noises to get our
attention and he says "Heyy" or at least it sounds like it when he wants our
attention or when he sees us, it's like he is greeting us with that sound, and I
think he got it from us because we have always been saying "Hey" to him.

He plays with vowels and blows raspberries ALOT and just the past two days
he has started to gurgle alot! And makes a sound that sounds like a long
"Kkkkk". And "G" with the gurgling. And he says "Ga" and "Gi" - does that
count as consonants?

He has once or twice said "ba" and "ma" but just those times. He is playing
alot more with his voice than earlier, and squeals, yells, blows raspberries,
talks softly in his bed with vowels and the raspberries and so on, just no da-
da-da, ba-ba-ba or "ba", "da", "ma". (But ee, ooo, aaa, iiii and ka, ki, kkk, ga,
gii, ggggg but those sound more in a gurgling way). I see he's interested in
the things I say because he will form his mouth like he's trying to move his
mouth the way I am.

I have talked to people who say their babies started around 9-10 months, and
my doctor here in sweden asks about this at the 10 month check and says
that 80% of the babies do it by that age. (The medical book says that).

Some people have told me their kids never babbled, or started around 1 year.

So I'm confused and of course it scares me when as soon as I google it, I find
scary information and warnings!

(Just a note, he responds to his name alot, and he reaches for us to be picked
up, he knows where daddy, mommy, grandma, granddad, uncle and bird is..
and also lamp sometimes)

So please let me know what you think about babbling and the things I wrote.

Answer
I agree with your doctor and since your baby is making some cooing noises, I think you are ok. You can get his hearing checked if you want to be safe, but I wouldn't worry yet. The window is from 6 months to 9 months or so. Write me back in a couple of months if you don't see it starting