Calls parent mama or dada
Typical Timing & Development Window
Visual Timeline & Milestone Benchmarks
What these numbers mean
The average age babies first begin showing early signs of this skill. Before this, it's simply too early — there's nothing to worry about.
The midpoint age: half of babies have reached this milestone by here, half a little later. It's a typical target, not a deadline.
How spread out the timing is. About two-thirds of babies achieve it within one standard deviation of the median (the shaded band, wk 44–52). Wide bands mean a normal range of variation.
A gentle check-in point. If your baby hasn't shown this by around here, it can be worth mentioning to your pediatrician — most often it's still perfectly fine, just later.
About this milestone
The infant uses 'mama' or 'dada' specifically to refer to their parent or primary caregiver, not just as random babble. This marks the transition from mechanical babbling to true symbolic speech, where a specific sound represents a specific person. It indicates a deep cognitive and social connection.
- 1. Point to your partner or a photo of yourself and say, 'Look, there's Dada!' to help build the mental connection.
- 2. Respond immediately with warm hugs, eye contact, and verbal praise when the infant says your name specifically.
- 3. Use the parent names consistently in simple sentences ('Mama is coming', 'Dada has the ball').
- 1. Avoid ignoring or failing to respond to their early attempts, as caregiver responsiveness encourages continued speech.
- 2. Do not correct minor pronunciation errors; simply model the correct sound back in a warm, natural way.
- 3. Avoid using overly complicated names or shifting terms constantly during this early speech phase.