Alvin N. Eden, MD
My 15-month-old daughter only says "mama" and "dad." Is there anything to worry about?
A No, you don't have to worry. It is true that some 15-month-old babies have larger vocabularies than your daughter, but there are ranges of normal language development and your baby is well within this normal range.
Here are some guidelines that you can use:
• At one year of age, a single word or two is normal
* At 18 months of age, your toddler should understand a great deal
• At two years of age, she should be putting two words together
If she falls below these guidelines it may indicate, and I want to emphasize may, a problem such as language delay, hearing problems, mental retardation, or autism. Before you jump to any conclusions, discuss this with your child's doctor.
It is important to remember that each child develops at her own pace. As long as her developmental milestones, including speech, are within the normal range, nothing needs to be done. Understanding is more important than active speech. Studies have shown that first-born children usually speak earlier than subsequent siblings, probably because parents have more time to talk with their first baby than to the second.
My best advice to you is to spend time each day reading to your daughter. The evidence is clear that reading books to children is the best way to help them achieve their maximum intellectual potential. Less TV watching and more book reading is the way to go.
Dr. Eden is the chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York and a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY. His practices in Forest Hills, NY. He is the past chairman of the Section on Pediatrics, New York Academy of Medicine.
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