Chorevia

Day 12 of 60 · Week 2

Hearing

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 12 sources · Plain-text version

Your baby's ears were working before you met. What they hear, how slowly they turn toward it, and the one screen result to check today.

A father in a sunlit kitchen holds his alert newborn upright against his shoulder, one hand cradling the head, while he shakes a small rattle softly to one side.

Yesterday was your voice. Today is the other end of it: your baby's ears, which were taking in the world before you ever saw each other.

Heart

Your baby already prefers familiar voices (AAP), and babies can recognize a parent's voice within the first month (AAP). The partner who talked to the bump, the grandparent who calls every day: those voices are becoming known too.

Head

Hearing is fully developed at birth, and loud sounds get a reaction (AAP). Finding where a sound comes from is slower. In a small lab study, most of 21 alert newborns turned their heads toward a sound played to one side, but the turn took a median of 2.5 seconds to start (Muir & Field, 1979). So when you call and nothing seems to happen, wait.

Check the hearing screen result from the hospital today if you haven't. Every baby should have one by 1 month (CDC). If your baby didn't pass, they need a full test by an audiologist, and the CDC says that should happen before 3 months of age, so book it now. If hearing loss is found, starting support before 6 months helps babies communicate better (CDC). A "did not pass" is a reason to test, not a diagnosis.

Body

Loud noises make newborns startle: arms and legs fling out, then pull back in, the Moro reflex, which fades around 2 months (AAP). A dropped pan will set it off. That's a working nervous system, not a problem.

If you use a sound machine, keep it quiet and away from the crib; at full volume, some exceed safe noise levels (Hugh et al., 2014). Normal household noise in the daytime is fine, and even useful (NHS).

Try today

  1. In the sunlit kitchen the father holds his twelve-day-old upright, head cradled, while the mother leans in from one side at ear height saying the baby's name, the baby's head starting to turn.

    Find the sound

    Time: A few tries when your baby is alert · Find the sound in the guide

    1. Hold your baby upright with their head well supported.

    2. From one side, say their name softly or shake a quiet rattle.

    3. Wait. The turn can take several seconds (Muir & Field, 1979).

    4. When they find you, smile and talk. Then try the other side.

    Make it work:

    Keep sounds gentle, since loud noises make newborns startle (AAP). Some tries will get nothing. That's a newborn, not a verdict.

Watch for

  • Normal

    startling at a loud sound, and no turn at all on some tries.

    Tell your pediatrician

    if your baby never seems to react to sounds, or didn't pass the hearing screen and the full test isn't booked yet (CDC).

  • Normal

    eyes that wander or cross at times; that should fade by 2 to 3 months, and babies should follow a moving object by 3 months.

    Tell your pediatrician

    if it doesn't (AAP).

  • Normal

    feeling warm after a feed in your arms.

    Call your pediatrician immediately

    for a rectal temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, even if your baby seems fine; rectal readings are the most accurate at this age (AAP).

For you

The mother lies on her side on the bed behind a closed bedroom door, curtains half drawn, eyes closed, the nightstand bare, a slice of afternoon light across the quilt.

Your own ears are full. The cry, the phone, the visitors, your own worried thoughts, all on broken sleep.

Ask for a quiet hour today. A protected hour: door shut, phone in another room, someone else holding the baby. A script, if asking is hard: "Can you take the baby from 2 to 3? I'm going to lie down with the door closed." If you're the partner, this hour is yours to give.

One line to keep in mind: overwhelming tiredness is on the CDC's list of urgent maternal warning signs, along with a headache that won't go away, trouble breathing, and chest pain. If you feel like something just isn't right, or you aren't sure if it's serious, talk to your health care provider (CDC).

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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