Your Baby, Week 27

"mama,

        dada...."

Around 6 or 7 months, your baby will begin to imitate sounds she hears in the speech around her.

You’ve been talking and singing yourself hoarse for months, and now it starts to pay off—baby is becoming much more responsive.

Your baby can repeat simple sounds and may be able to make word-like sounds, such as “mama” and “dada,” although the meaning of them won’t sink in until later.

How to spot hearing loss

If your baby’s not making a variety of sounds by seven months of age, let your pediatrician know. There could be a problem with her hearing or speech development. Read our list of milestones to watch for.

Keeping your child safe from infections

Vaccines, good preventative hygiene and medications are all important in the fight against childhood infections. Learn what you can do to keep your child safe from infections seen in childhood.

Early exposure to pets may not raise risk of allergies

A new study seems to suggest having a pet in the house in the first year of life may actually lower a child's risk of developing allergies.