While conducting the development assessment of an infant, the nurse notes that he is able to produce bisyllable like Mama, dada, etc. What is the likely age of the infant?

1. A

   6 months

2. B

   9 months

3. C

   12 months

4. D

   18 months

Appeared in: AIIMS Delhi NO - 2018

Explanation

• The production of repetitive bisyllabic sounds like "mama" and "dada" is a hallmark language milestone for an infant around 9 to 10 months of age.
• At this stage, the babbling is considered nonspecific, meaning the infant does not yet associate these sounds with their parents.
• This milestone follows the development of monosyllabic babbling (single syllables like "ba") which typically occurs around 6 months.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: At 6 months, an infant's language development is typically characterized by monosyllabic babbling (e.g., "ba," "da," "pa") and making squealing noises, not forming bisyllabic sounds.
• Option C: By 12 months, an infant typically progresses from nonspecific babbling to using "Mama" and "Dada" with specific meaning (i.e., to call their parents). They also start using 1-2 other meaningful words.
• Option D: An 18-month-old has a more developed vocabulary, typically saying 3 to 10 or more words and starting to follow simple one-step commands without gestures. Bisyllabic babbling is a much earlier milestone.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Infant Language Development Milestones to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
• Nurses play a vital role in developmental screening during well-child visits. Identifying milestones, like bisyllabic babbling, helps confirm normal development or detect potential delays early.
• Educating parents about what to expect at each stage is crucial. For a 9-month-old, parents should be encouraged by the babbling but informed that the specific meaning for "Mama" and "Dada" will come later.
• A key red flag is the absence of babbling or gestures (like pointing) by 12 months. This warrants a referral for a hearing evaluation and a more in-depth developmental assessment.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the key information in the question stem: the infant is producing "bisyllable" sounds like "Mama, dada."
• Recognize that this is a developmental milestone question that requires knowledge of normal infant language progression.
• Recall or look up the typical age ranges for language milestones. Differentiate between cooing, monosyllabic babbling, bisyllabic babbling, and meaningful words.
• Match the described behavior (bisyllabic babbling) to the correct age. Note that nonspecific "Mama/Dada" occurs around 9 months, while specific use occurs around 12 months.
• Evaluate the options: 6 months is too early (monosyllabic), 12 and 18 months are too late (specific words and vocabulary growth). Therefore, 9 months is the most likely age.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Infant Language Development Milestones
• Stem keywords: development assessment, infant, bisyllable, Mama, dada
• Lead-in keywords: likely age
• Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

Question ID

Q4WoODfc7wYGT22FofyQvm

Copy ID

Reference Book

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 pp. 130-132, 196-198