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Hearing of the fetus: a sense developed from the 24th week of pregnancy
If it is with the help of his five senses that baby will understand the world around him, and expand his physical and mental capacities, these five senses do not all develop at the same time. In order, it is first the touch that develops first, when the baby is still floating in the amniotic fluid, in the mother’s womb. Afterwards, smell will develop, as well as taste. Hearing, or hearing, comes in fourth place, followed by sight, which will mostly develop after birth.
But if baby’s hearing develops later than touch and smell, this sense is still the keenest of the fetus. in utero. According to current scientific data, hearing of the fetus would begin between the 26th and 28th week of amenorrhea, i.e. between the 24th and 26th week of pregnancy. The sound of her mother’s heart, the sound of her breathing, the noises of the digestive organs… All these senses which until then were simply felt are now heard by the fetus. According to several studies, all these noises represent a sound level of about 30 decibels, or the equivalent of whispers in a public library for example.
From 5 to 6 months of pregnancy, the fetus hears certain sounds from the outside, such as nearby voices (especially that of his mother), music (especially bass), or even engine noise (vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, car, motorcycle …). This is why it is also not recommended for mom to put headphones directly on her stomach, or to go to concerts where the sound volume will be very high.
The fetus will be particularly sensitive to changes in intonation in the voice, so do not hesitate to vary your intonation when talking to baby during your pregnancy. All the more so as several scientific findings reflect a memorization of hearing experiences made by the fetus, and even go so far as to speak of “fetal learning” of sounds or “auditory heritage”. The fetus could thus memorize the voice of its mother and father, but also certain music or atmospheres.
Newborn hearing: how baby hears at birth
At birth, and since he already heard certain sounds in the womb, baby does not fully discover his sound environment. He already knows his mother’s voice, which he heard both from outside and inside the body, and she reassures him in this new unknown world, making the link between her fetal life and her baby life. Other melodies or ambient sounds may also soothe him if he has heard them. in utero.
Baby will quickly begin to discover a new voice: his own. He begins to make some babbling, first made of vowels, then gradually phonemes (pa-ba-ma etc.). And just because babies don’t speak, it doesn’t mean they don’t understand: like an adult learning a foreign language, they understand many everyday words, but have difficulty expressing themselves. As for the intonations, discoveries in utero, he understands the meaning (anger, joy, etc.).
Actions to stimulate baby’s hearing development
It is possible tohelp babies develop their hearing from birth, with simple actions that most parents do without necessarily realizing their importance for baby’s hearing.
First of all, be sure to limit background noise in your baby’s environment : no TV or radio that loops if you don’t listen to it / watch it, no music all the time, especially when you talk to it. These noises indeed act like parasites, which prevent baby from hearing the rest: the sound of birds, rain on the glass, your voice, etc.
Then it’s up to you point out to baby the everyday noises that surround him : dad who starts the car or the motorbike, the washing machine, the hair dryer, the barking dog… During special moments with baby, such as bathing, cooking with him or reading, change the tone of your voice, going from a high-pitched voice to a deep voice or the other way around, and sing him nursery rhymes or music that you like. All these seemingly innocuous little things stimulate his hearing and his curiosity.
Baby’s hearing development month by month
Over the months, baby’s hearing improves, allowing him to hear more and more things, and to let parents know if baby can hear well or if he has hearing problems, requiring screening at an ENT or audiologist. Because if the screening for deafness at birth has been systematically carried out in France since 2012 before leaving the maternity ward, Deafness sometimes appears later, up to the baby’s second year. It is therefore necessary to remain vigilant and attentive to the reactions or the absence of reactions of the infant until his 3 years.
- 0 to 3 months : baby reacts to certain sudden noises by jumping, blinking, changing facial expression, crying …
- 3 to 6 months : baby starts to turn his head in the direction of the sound source as soon as a noise occurs, this is called the acutropic reflex. He reacts when you play music he likes, for example that emitted by one of his favorite toys.
- 6 to 10 months : baby begins to babble. He reacts to his first name, and to words he knows well such as “mum”, “dad”, “dodo”, “doudou”, “to eat” etc.
- 10 to 18 months : baby begins to imitate sounds, and to pronounce certain familiar words (“mom”, “dad”, “sleep”, etc.). He is also able to point to an object with his finger if you ask him, or to go and look for it.
The absence of one or more of these signs, or subsequent language delay, may indicate a hearing impairment. Also, if you have any doubts, a consultation with an ENT is recommended, if only to reassure you. Especially since early intervention at the auditory level can avoid language and socialization problems later.
Sources and additional information:
- CHELLI, Dalenda and Badis CHANOUFI. “Fetal hearing. Myth or reality? Fetal hearing. Myth or reality? », Journal of Obstetric Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, (2008) 37, pp. 554-558.