Baby's First Words and Other Speech Development Milestones

6. The Pros and Cons of Baby Talk

Baby talk is the source of many debates among child behavior experts. Some advise parents to use proper words for objects. They stress the importance of staying one step ahead of the child’s developmental stage and avoiding adjusting their speech and pronunciation. However, a 2018 study at the University of Edinburgh shows that nine-month-old children pick up language faster when parents and caretakers expose them to certain baby-talk words. Words with repeat sounds, like “night-night” or words that end in “y,” such as “doggy,” helped the child develop talking skills more quickly.