Baby's First Words and Other Speech Development Milestones

8. Babies React to Speech in the Womb

Babies begin to react to and learn language before they are born because the neural networks humans need to perceive and comprehend language are already developing. By 24 weeks gestation, a baby can hear and react to sound. By 35 weeks, they begin to learn language. After a child is born, the first six months are crucial for speech. Synaptic growth peaks as early as six months of age, so auditory stimulation is important to ensure proper language development.