A child speaks bisyllable words (e.g., 'mama,' 'dada') at which age?

RML MAINS 2025

Child Health Nursing (Pediatrics)

Easy

Appeared in: RML MAINS 2025

Explanation

According to developmental milestones, a child typically says their first meaningful words, such as 'mama' or 'dada' for a parent, around 12 months of age.
This milestone signifies the transition from non-specific babbling to intentional, meaningful speech.
While reduplicated babbling (e.g., 'mamama') occurs earlier (around 6-9 months), the specific use of 'mama' or 'dada' as a name is a 12-month skill.
At this age, a child also begins to understand simple commands like 'no' and use gestures like waving 'bye-bye'.

Option A: At 8 months, an infant is typically in the canonical babbling stage, producing repetitive syllables like 'bababa' without specific meaning. They have not yet associated these sounds with specific people.
Option B: At 9 months, an infant continues to babble and may make a variety of sounds. However, using 'mama' and 'dada' with meaning is not the expected milestone for this age.
Option C: By 14 months, a child's language skills have typically progressed beyond just their first one or two words. They are expected to be adding new words to their vocabulary.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Developmental Milestones: Language Acquisition as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in assessing developmental milestones during well-child visits. Identifying delays in language development early is essential for timely intervention.
Parents should be educated about what to expect at each stage. If a child is not babbling by 9 months or has not said their first word by 15-18 months, it warrants further evaluation by a healthcare provider.
What if? If a 12-month-old child is not babbling or making any word-like sounds, the nurse should perform a hearing screening and refer the child for a comprehensive developmental assessment to rule out hearing impairment or other developmental disorders.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is about a specific developmental milestone: speaking bisyllable words like 'mama' and 'dada'.
Recognize that this is a factual recall question based on standard pediatric developmental timelines.
Differentiate between babbling sounds (which occur earlier) and speaking words with meaning. The question's examples ('mama', 'dada') strongly imply meaningful speech.
Recall or look up the typical age for first meaningful words. Compare this with the given options.
Eliminate options that are too early (representing the babbling stage) or too late (representing a more advanced vocabulary stage) to find the most accurate answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Developmental Milestones: Language Acquisition
Stem keywords: child, bisyllable words, mama, dada, age
Lead-in keywords: at which age
Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

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E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 pp. 130-132, 369-371