Ear Development in Babies
The human auditory system, designed to receive, interpret and respond to sound stimuli, is functional when a baby is born. Though most babies are born with ears in working order, development is not complete. The ears continue to grow, change and develop immediately after birth until a child reaches his 12th birthday, according to BabyCenter.
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Prenatal Ear Development
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The structural parts of a baby's ear develop during the first 20 weeks of gestation, according to "Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews." The inner ear is fully formed by 20 weeks gestation. Then, the neurological aspects of the ear develop, including the formation of pathways between the brain and ear that tell a baby he's hearing a sound and enable him to identify it. The auditory system is functional at about 25 weeks gestation.
Development After Birth
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Though most babies are born with fully functioning ears, the auditory system will continue to develop. For example, sensory receptors called hair cells will continue to develop in the cochlea, the spiral-shaped part of the inner ear, until a baby is 5 to 6 months of age, according to "Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews." The cochlea translates vibrations into recognizable sounds. The hair cells of the axons and neurons, which receive and send auditory messages to the brain, begin to work together to enable a baby to hear different frequencies and intensities of sounds. A baby with normal hearing will follow sounds with his eyes at about 4 to 6 months of age, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. By 6 months of age, babies with normal hearing will start to imitate sounds.
Development During the Second Half of the First Year
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By 8 months of age, for babies with normal hearing, the ears and auditory system have developed enough to enable them to respond to changes in sounds and to start babbling, according to the BabyCenter website. It is also during this time that the physical ability to hear interacts with brain function so a child is able to identify certain words and respond to his name when it's called. This relationship is also what enables many babies to begin saying simple words as they approach their first birthday.
When Ear Development Isn't Normal
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Your doctor will probably be able to diagnose potential ear development disorders prenatally or shortly after birth. Most babies are given a hearing test before they go home from the hospital to detect any problems. Auditory problems can appear even if hearing tests are normal at birth, however, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. If your baby doesn't react to or respond to sounds, speak with his pediatrician.
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