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Bilingual SLT

Choose your child's age range.

If your child was born more than 3 weeks early, use their adjusted age (actual age minus weeks early) until their 2nd birthday. After that, use their actual age.

Child already 5? The 4–5 years section shows skills most children develop by age 5. If you're concerned, speak to a healthcare professional.

7 to 9 months

Every baby is different. These are things most babies (at least 3 in 4) do by the end of this stage. If your baby was born more than 3 weeks early, take the weeks they were born early off their age, and use that age here until their 2nd birthday.

What to expect

Listening and understanding

  • Looks at you when you call their name
  • Stops for a moment when you say "no"
  • Recognises the names of some familiar people and things

Sounds and gestures

  • Babbles strings of sounds, like "mamamama" or "babababa"
  • Lifts their arms up to be picked up
  • Pushes away things they don't want

Playing and connecting

  • Looks for you when upset
  • Is shy, clingy or wary around strangers
  • Reacts when you leave (looks, reaches for you or cries)
  • Shows several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry and surprised
  • Smiles or laughs when you play peek-a-boo

Eating and drinking

  • Leans forward for food and reaches for it
  • Opens their mouth for the spoon and moves food to the back of the mouth with their tongue
  • Picks up food with their fingers and starts to feed themselves
  • Tries to hold the spoon
  • Moves food around their mouth with their tongue and munches (jaw moving up and down)
  • Starts drinking from a cup. Biting the edge and some spilling are expected

Food and drink at this age

This is general guidance, not a milestone to check. Smooth food with some soft lumps (like mashed potato or porridge) and soft foods cut into strips (like toast or cheese), alongside breast milk or formula, with small sips of water.

Gagging and choking

Babies have a strong gag reflex, and many gag when they meet new textures. This is usually part of learning to eat. If your baby is coughing loudly, encourage them to keep coughing and stay with them. If their cough is silent or they can't breathe in properly, they're choking and need help straight away. If you're worried about gagging, talk to your health visitor, GP or a speech and language therapist.

Growing up with two languages

Speak to your baby in the language or languages you're most comfortable using. In a study of babies hearing English and Spanish, babies growing up with two languages started babbling at about the same age as babies hearing one language.

Get medical help straight away if, while eating or drinking, your baby:

has difficulty breathing (for example grunting, or sucking in their tummy when they breathe); has lips, tongue or skin turning blue, grey or very pale; or is choking and their cough is silent or they can't breathe in properly. Call your local emergency number.

If your baby is choking: follow the first-aid steps for babies under 1 on the NHS choking first-aid page.

Talk to a professional if your baby...

  • Isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage
  • Often coughs during or after eating or drinking
  • Arches their back or cries during most meals or feeds
  • Brings up more than ordinary spit-up
  • Often loses a lot of food or milk from their mouth, beyond the spills expected while learning to use a cup
  • Regularly takes longer than 30 minutes to finish a meal
  • Is having any trouble with breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or eating solid food. You don't need to wait.

Worried about your baby's hearing? Ask for a hearing test, even if your baby responds to some sounds. You don't need to wait for other signs.

When to talk to someone

You don't need to wait until several things are missing. Talk to a professional if your baby isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage, if you have any one specific worry (such as their hearing, losing skills they had, their communication or their feeding), or if you're simply worried. You know your baby best.

Who to talk to

Your health visitor, GP, paediatrician or a speech and language therapist.

Help your baby

  • Copy your baby's babble, then say a word that uses those sounds. If they say "bababa", say "bababa", then "ball"
  • Wave and say "bye-bye" when you leave, and nod or shake your head as you talk
  • Look at books together and name the pictures as you point
  • Play "my turn, your turn" by passing a toy back and forth
  • Let them feed themselves with their fingers and try a cup with a little water. Sit with them and expect mess
  • Offer different tastes and textures. A new food may need many tries

Where this information comes from

Research references

These milestones describe skills most children develop by the end of each age range. Every child develops differently. This information is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional advice. If you have concerns about your child's communication, hearing, eating or drinking, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.