From as early as two weeks, your little one can recognise your voice and will begin to turn towards you when you speak.

After one month hearing is fully established, and by three months you might notice that they react to loud noise or smile or ‘reply’ when they are spoken to.

By six months, they will turn towards a new sound, appreciate toys that make a noise and begin to repeat sounds.  After a while, they will begin to respond to their own name, recognise words and respond to simple requests.

It can be hard to tell if very young babies have any problems hearing as they often ignore or sleep through loud sounds.  Hearing and speech development go hand in hand, so if your baby does have a hearing problem, it’s important to catch it early.

All newborn babies are offered a routine hearing test in the first few weeks.  It’s not uncomfortable and can even be done when your baby is asleep.

If you do have concerns, as always, talk to your health visitor or doctor.