6 month old not even babbling

[leonieandevie]

I'm new to all of this and wanted to start on a happy note but I need advice to stop me from becoming a nervous wreck. My little one is 6 months today and is the love of my life, but I'm worried about her lack of speech. She's never been a great talker - more of the strong silent type, but considering virtually every other baby I meet of her age (6 months) is chatting away I'm beginning to worry. She makes the occasional bird-like noise which is gorgeous and can show different emotions through tone and her other development is fine. She can hear perfectly, she watches everything like a hawk, she can sit up on her own, laughs when I make a fool of myself in public and is almost crawling. She fell off the bed a month ago and I now feel that I've caused her permanent damage. Worst still, I think she's picking up on my paranoia. Help! Health visitors have suggested deafness and autism so far..

PLEASE stop worrying!!!! Everything's ok. My 6 month old makes no noise apart from when he's crying!! Don't compare with other babies ( yeah I know easier said than done)!!

Your health visitor should be shot. take no notice, god what a stupid woman

Hi there.I would suggest you talk to your health visitor about getting a hearing test for your dd.If possible try to ask for a paediatric referral from the hv/gp to your local childrens centre if you are worried about her development.Do bear in mind that all babies are different though,she may just be a "late developer" six months is still young.Having said that,I really wish that I had pushed a bit harder,earlier,re my dds development.She has a global delay in speech and motor skills despite a normal pregnancy and birth.I really wish you and your dd all the best and can say that the childrens centres are fantastic in what support they can offer should your dd require help. xx

Thankyou - great to hear I'm not the only one. And yes, I agree about HV. I don't have a specific HV as the area in Brighton I'm in is oversubscribed but to add insult to injury another suggested I stop weaning her to let her sleep for longer...??? what? Do you need qualifications for this job? Get the feeling I'm going to enjoy venting my spleen on this board!

Hi Wrinkytum. The only thing is her hearing seems fine - she even turns her head to the direction of the sound. I will go to my GP I think even just if its to set my mind at ease. He's def. more reliable.

PS Do NOT blame yourself re your dd falling of the bed.Kids are pretty resilient.DS fell off a picnic bench aged 2 and landed on his head on concrete,huge egg,distraught mum,trip to casualty.....he was fine.Wait til she starts walking!!!!

Ps I did not want to worry you with previous post.I am sure your little one will be fine but if YOU are concerned then please try to get a referral.You are her mum and know her best.The health visitor saying about autism sounds pretty bizarre,frankly,at only 6 months.Good luck xx

You didn't worry me - you're right. I must follow my own instincts. I know a number of people who have kids with autism and I agree - its very difficult to diagnose at this age. I'm getting angry just thinking about the stress its put me through.

leonie I'm in Brighton too!

I've dropped all of my kids when they were babies and they're fine! Babies are very tough you know!
I've never had a baby that 'babbles' either. Some babies are simply more vocal than others. I know it's difficult to relax with your first, you are anxious about everything.
I'm sure that your baby is perfectly normal but having her checked out will help to reassure you though.

Health visitors on the whole talk out of their bums. I use them only for the weighing scales. Luckily they have stopped trying to impart pearls of wisdom to me

Hi leonie,
Was your DD born in April? If so (or even if not) come and join us on the April postnatal thread. There's beena bit of a run on babies falling off beds recently, mine fell off the other day, it's awful isn't it? I do get the impression it's quite common though, and babies are bouncy

A health visitory suggested your dd is deaf and / or autistic because she is not babbling at six months? She should be shot.

My DS1 didn't start babbling till 8 months, and he is 3.5 now and he talks up a storm (15 word sentences).

I would take your DD for a hearing test. She could be completely normal, she could have glue ear, or she could be deaf. In any case, it is not the end of the world. Glue ear can be treated with grommets, and inner ear problems can be treated with aids.

Your DD is still very young, I would try not to worry and see if you get any useful information from a hearing test.

(DS2 has a hearing deficit, so we can going the route of tests at the moment. He is going to have an ABR test next week, and depending on what he find out he will have either grommets or aids fitted. He is eleven months old, and his hearing deficit is actually the least of his problems!)

My HV was worrying about ds not weight bearing on his legs at 7 months, then about not babbling at 9 months. Now he's 19mths and guess what he walks and talks.......

HV - when they are good they are very very good, and when they are bad they are imho of course

Oh btw, diagnosis of autism is pretty rare before 3-4yrs, so not sure why the HV is mentioning that already, how unhelpful

If you are worried about anything, keep pushing pushing pushing until you get the help you need. Trust your instincts. I have known since ds1 was 10 months old that there was something different about him. Ever since people have been telling me not to compare kids, some are late developers, bla bla bla. Now he is 4, he is not coping at school, his teacher says that she can't get through to him and he is being assessed next month by a specialist. He is almost certainly high functioning autistic.

If I had trusted MY instincts, he would have had help by the age of 2, not at 4.5. We have lost at least 2 years because nobody listened to me and I just wanted everybody else to be right and for me to be wrong.

Does she respond when you call her name? Does she selectively ignore you? Those were the first black flags that I noticed. If she responds to you and pays attention to you, I think that is more important than actual babbling. Does she reach out to be picked up?

DS certainly wasn't babbling at 6 months -- I think it was nearer 7 or 8. In fact, in general he was a little "behind" on most of his speech and language milestones, but "ahead" on his gross motor milestones (crwaling, cruising, walking, etc.). Now (at 2.9) he won't shut up... .

I think given your DD is only 6 months your HVs are overreacting trying to diagnose something wrong she's well within the normal range of development. If she gets to 8 months and still not babbling it might be worth getting a referral for a hearing test (although sounds as though you don't really have any concerns in that area) and/or other assessment but even then the overwhelming probability would be that she'd start babbling between requesting the appointment and actually getting to go to it.

My dd1 didn't babble at all ...not ever.

My 'helpful' HV also thought that she could be deaf and send her for a hearing test - which at the time consisted of someone standing behind her shaking a a rattle (?!?)

My dd said her first word at 10/11 months and by the time she was 18 months old, she was speaking in full sentences and wouldn't ever shut up!! LOL

What are your instincts telling you?

My dd was a 'serious' little girl and i knew that this was all it was.

I would suggest you monitor it for now as 6 months is VERY young to be making sweeping judgements (i can't believe your HV suggested Autism ...what an idiot!)

Good luck

xx

Most HV are complete idiots ( I have met a couple of excellent ones but they are in the minority sadly). Christ knows what qualifications they actually have.

I am always amazed at the reports here on MN about HV. I live in Germany and here the check ups are done by paediatricians. I do feel that the health and development of babies and small children is very important and should not be left in the hands of people who are obviously so badly trained.

I agree with all the other posters, 6 months is very early to diagnose a speech problem and ridiculously early to even think about autism. It would not hurt to have a hearing test done (a proper one, not someone holding a rattle behind DD's back .

My DS was dropped on his head at 8 weeks, they really are resiliant, these babys!

I think everyone else has already said this but - WHAT?!! Ds didn't babble until he was 9 or 10 months. Sensible HV told me not to worry about it if he could hear (which he clearly could). He also fell down an entire flight of stairs at 13 months - I was traumatised - he was fine. Don't worry!

Goodness me, I've long given up listening to hv's they're usually well meaning but useless. Fwiw, my ds didn't start babbling until he was about 8/9 months and then not like any of his peers. He's 3.1 now and yesterday said 'mummy, when it's night time and the moon is high, we will go halloweening' I initially put his non babbling down to him having a dummy and ditched it at six months. You could always try that if you are using one.

Now I know why I joined Mumsnet! Thanks bundles guys. About to go and accost HV - no, only joking!
Will seek a referral but in answer to formerlyknownasfatslag, she recognises her own name and raises her arms to me so I'm even more confused by her silence.Will let you all know how it goes..

Actually research shows that deaf babies up to the age of about 8 months babble regardless of not being able to hear... So a baby not babbling is no indication of deafness. HVs are dangerous- a small amount of knowledge is a dangerous thing especially where us anxious mums are involved.

@leonieandevie how is ur baby now? my baby doing same .. plz give me rply