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: RML Lucknow - 2021

Explanation

• At around 9 months, infants enter a stage of language development characterized by canonical and variegated babbling.
• This includes repeating consonant-vowel combinations to form bisyllabic sounds like 'mama', 'dada', or 'baba'.
• Crucially, at this age, these 'words' are nonspecific and do not yet carry their true meaning; the infant is practicing sounds rather than naming individuals.
• This milestone follows the earlier stage of monosyllabic babbling (around 6 months) and precedes the use of specific, meaningful words (around 12 months).

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option A: At 6 months, an infant's vocalizations are typically monosyllabic (e.g., 'ba', 'da', 'ma') and include cooing or making squealing noises. Bisyllabic babbling is not expected yet.
• Option C: By 12 months, an infant typically uses 'mama' and 'dada' specifically to refer to their parents. They also begin to use one or two other words with meaning. The question describes nonspecific babbling, which occurs earlier.
• Option D: An 18-month-old has a much more developed vocabulary, typically using 10-15 words and starting to combine them into two-word phrases. Bisyllabic babbling is a milestone they would have passed many months prior.

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.
• Developmental screening is a core nursing responsibility during well-child visits. Accurately identifying an infant's developmental stage allows for early detection of potential delays.
• If a 9-month-old is not babbling or making sounds, it warrants further investigation, including a hearing screening, as hearing impairment is a common cause of speech delay.
• Nurses play a key role in parent education. It's important to reassure parents that at 9 months, 'mama' and 'dada' are typically part of the babbling process and not yet specific, managing their expectations.

How to Approach the Question

• First, identify the key developmental skill described in the question stem. Here, it is 'produces bisyllable like Mama, dada'.
• Next, recall the standard developmental milestones for infants, specifically focusing on language.
• Mentally map the described skill to the typical age range. Remember that nonspecific babbling ('mama', 'dada') precedes the specific, meaningful use of these words.
• Evaluate the given options against your knowledge. 6 months is too early (monosyllabic), 12 months is when the words become specific, and 18 months is far too late (simple sentences).
• Conclude that 9 months is the most appropriate age for the milestone of nonspecific bisyllabic babbling.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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

Question ID

Q_2GzBJgaB6VtEb718KARH

Copy ID

Reference Book

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