Infant Hearing Development       BIRTH TO THREE MONTHS...            Startles or jumps when there is a sudden loud sound            Stirs, wakes up or cries when someone talks or makes a noise            Recognizes your voice and quiets when you speak       THREE TO SIX MONTHS...            Turns eyes towards interesting sound            Appears to listen            Awakes easily to sounds       SIX TO TWELVE MONTHS...            Turns head toward soft sounds            Understands "no" and "bye-bye"            Begins to imitate speech sounds            TWELVE MONTHS...         Says first words such as "Da-Da,"         "Ma-Ma," or "Bye-Bye"       Risk Factors for Hearing Loss        A family member with permanent hearing loss since childhood        Serious infection present at birth (such as German measles, herpes or syphilis)        Difficult birth or delivery which affected baby's breathing        Birth weight less than 3 1/2 pounds        Unusual appearance of baby's head, face or ears (including cleft palate or malformed ears)        Baby requiring neonatal intensive care (NICU for two days or more following birth)        Baby having a disorder or infection of the brain (such as meningitis)        Baby needing a blood exchange or transfusion    If your baby has any condition associated with hearing loss, or if you suspect a hearing problem, help is available!   Parents are usually the first to know if their baby cannot hear!     Your baby's hearing can be accurately tested at any age by an audiologist. If you are concerned about your baby's hearing, seek help from your doctor or an audiologist. DO NOT DELAY! Keep asking until your concerns are answered!     If you have questions, or would like more information about your baby's hearing, call an audiologist, or the American Academy of Audiology at 1-800-AAA-2336 Babies hear and listen from the moment of birth. Your baby should quickly learn to recognize and respond to your voice. Good hearing is essential for your baby, to learn to talk.     If your baby has a hearing loss, many important learning experiences will be missed. Babies can't tell us if they don't hear. Parents should be alert to any sign of hearing loss. If you suspect that your baby is not hearing normally, request that your baby receive a thorough hearing test from an audiologist. All babies, even newborns, can be given an accurate hearing test. It is never too early to test your baby's hearing.       American Academy of Audiology     8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300     McLean, VA  22102     The preceding information is available on request in printed brochure format from the American Academy of Audiology     Phone 800-AAA-2336