Baby Not Saying Mama or Dada
Medically reviewed by Dr. Emily Torres, PhD, CCC-SLP · Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist
Content reviewed against published AAP, CDC guidelines
Last reviewed:
Speech and communication milestones vary widely, and worries about baby not saying mama or dada, here is what you need to know.
The short answer
Most babies say "mama" or "dada" with meaning between 10 and 14 months, though they may babble these sounds earlier without attaching them to a person. If your baby is babbling with consonant sounds, making eye contact, and communicating with gestures, the specific words will likely follow in their own time.
Key takeaways
- Most babies say "mama" or "dada" with meaning between 10 and 14 months, though they may babble these sounds earlier without attaching them to a person. If your baby is babbling with consonant sounds, making eye contact, and communicating with gestures, the specific words will likely follow in their own time.
- Usually normal when: Your baby is under 12 months and babbling with a variety of consonant-vowel sounds like "baba," "gaga," or "deedee" even without "mama" or "dada" specifically.
- Call your doctor if: Your baby was saying "mama" or "dada" and has stopped - any loss of words warrants a prompt evaluation.
- Varies by age — see the age-by-age breakdown below
Parents everywhere have the same worry. You are doing the right thing by looking into it.
What Parents Should Know
According to AAP, CDC guidelines, most babies say "mama" or "dada" with meaning between 10 and 14 months, though they may babble these sounds earlier without attaching them to a person. If your baby is babbling with consonant sounds, making eye contact, and communicating with gestures, the specific words will likely follow in their own time. At 6-8 months, babies at this stage often babble "mamama" or "dadada" as simple sound repetition without any meaning attached. This is called canonical babbling and it's an exciting step, but it's not the same as saying a word. Your baby is simply practicing mouth movements and enjoying the sounds. It is generally considered normal when your baby is under 12 months and babbling with a variety of consonant-vowel sounds like "baba," "gaga," or "deedee" even without "mama" or "dada" specifically. However, you should contact your pediatrician promptly if your baby was saying "mama" or "dada" and has stopped - any loss of words warrants a prompt evaluation.
Normal vs. Concerning
By Age
What to expect by age
6-8 months
Babies at this stage often babble "mamama" or "dadada" as simple sound repetition without any meaning attached. This is called canonical babbling and it's an exciting step, but it's not the same as saying a word. Your baby is simply practicing mouth movements and enjoying the sounds.
9-11 months
Some babies begin to associate "mama" or "dada" with the right parent during this window, while many others are still using these sounds interchangeably or not at all. Both patterns are within the normal range. What matters more right now is whether your baby is babbling with a variety of consonant sounds and showing social engagement.
12-14 months
By around 12 months, most babies are using at least one word with meaning - but it might not be "mama" or "dada." It could be "ba" for ball or "da" for dog. If your baby has at least one meaningful word and is communicating through pointing and gestures, they're on track even if "mama" and "dada" haven't clicked yet.
15-18 months
If your baby has no meaningful words at all by 15 months - not just "mama" and "dada" but any consistently used word - it's worth mentioning to your pediatrician. However, many late talkers at this age are understanding a great deal, and a hearing evaluation plus speech assessment can help determine whether support would be useful.
What to Tell Your Pediatrician
- Describe when you first noticed baby not saying mama or dada and how it has changed over time.
- Note your baby's current age and which age-specific patterns you are seeing.
- Mention if your baby is over 12 months and not using any consonant sounds in babbling - no "ba," "da," "ma," or "ga" sounds at all.
- Mention if your baby is 15 months or older with no meaningful words of any kind, not just "mama" and "dada.".
- Bring a list of any questions or observations you want to discuss at the appointment.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your baby is under 12 months and babbling with a variety of consonant-vowel sounds like "baba," "gaga," or "deedee" even without "mama" or "dada" specifically.
- Your baby says "mama" and "dada" but uses them interchangeably for both parents or for everything - this is a normal developmental step before true association.
- Your baby has other first words like "ball," "dog," or "more" but hasn't specifically settled on "mama" or "dada" yet.
- Your baby understands when you say "mama" or "dada" and looks at the right person, even if they don't say it themselves.
- Your baby is over 12 months and not using any consonant sounds in babbling - no "ba," "da," "ma," or "ga" sounds at all.
- Your baby is 15 months or older with no meaningful words of any kind, not just "mama" and "dada."
- Your baby seems to understand very little of what you say and doesn't respond to familiar words or simple requests.
- Your baby was saying "mama" or "dada" and has stopped - any loss of words warrants a prompt evaluation.
- Your baby is over 12 months, has no words, does not point or gesture, and avoids eye contact - this combination should be evaluated soon.
What You Can Do at Home
- Keep track of when you notice baby not saying mama or dada — noting the time of day, duration, and any triggers can help your pediatrician.
- Remember that your baby is under 12 months and babbling with a variety of consonant-vowel sounds like "baba," "gaga," or "deedee" even without "mama" or "dada" specifically — this is generally within the range of normal.
- At 6-8 months, focus on observation rather than intervention unless your pediatrician advises otherwise.
- Talk, read, and sing to your baby frequently. Narrate daily activities to build language exposure.
- While monitoring at home, seek immediate care if your baby was saying "mama" or "dada" and has stopped - any loss of words warrants a prompt evaluation.
Related Resources
Milestone Checklists by Age
Track your baby's developmental milestones from birth to 5 years with age-specific checklists.
Month-by-Month Development
Detailed monthly development guides from birth through 24 months.
When to Call the Doctor
General guide on when to call the pediatrician, visit urgent care, or go to the ER.
Frequently asked questions
Is baby not saying mama or dada normal?
When should I call the doctor about baby not saying mama or dada?
When is baby not saying mama or dada normal?
What causes baby not saying mama or dada?
What should I mention to my pediatrician about baby not saying mama or dada?
Is baby not saying mama or dada normal at 6-8 months?
Is baby not saying mama or dada normal at 9-11 months?
Should I go to the ER for baby not saying mama or dada?
Does baby not saying mama or dada go away on its own?
References
Doctor Visit Checklist
Bring this checklist to your next pediatrician visit to discuss Baby Not Saying Mama or Dada.
Things to mention
- Describe when you first noticed baby not saying mama or dada and how it has changed over time.
- Note your baby's current age and which age-specific patterns you are seeing.
- Mention if your baby is over 12 months and not using any consonant sounds in babbling - no "ba," "da," "ma," or "ga" sounds at all.
- Mention if your baby is 15 months or older with no meaningful words of any kind, not just "mama" and "dada.".
- Bring a list of any questions or observations you want to discuss at the appointment.
Observations to share
- Your baby is over 12 months and not using any consonant sounds in babbling - no "ba," "da," "ma," or "ga" sounds at all.
- Your baby is 15 months or older with no meaningful words of any kind, not just "mama" and "dada."
- Your baby seems to understand very little of what you say and doesn't respond to familiar words or simple requests.
Urgent signs to report immediately
- Your baby was saying "mama" or "dada" and has stopped - any loss of words warrants a prompt evaluation.
- Your baby is over 12 months, has no words, does not point or gesture, and avoids eye contact - this combination should be evaluated soon.
My notes
From ismybabyalright.com — free, evidence-based baby health guides
All content follows our editorial policy and is reviewed against published clinical guidelines.
2,705 evidence-based guides6 authoritative medical sources5 medical advisory board members
Related Resources
Bottom line
Most cases of baby not saying mama or dada are normal. Talk to your pediatrician if your baby was saying "mama" or "dada" and has stopped - any loss of words warrants a prompt evaluation.
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, reach out to your pediatrician. Worrying about your baby means you care — that is a good thing.
Was this page helpful?
Related Speech Concerns
Accent vs Speech Disorder in Bilingual Toddlers
When toddlers grow up hearing more than one language, they naturally blend sounds, patterns, and accents from both languages. This is normal and healthy, not a speech disorder. A bilingual child may pronounce some sounds differently than monolingual peers because they are learning the sound systems of two languages simultaneously. True speech disorders affect both languages equally, while accent influence appears only in specific sounds borrowed from one language to another.
Ear Fluid Affecting Baby's Speech Development
Chronic or recurrent middle ear fluid (otitis media with effusion) can temporarily reduce hearing by 15 to 40 decibels, which is like hearing through water. During critical periods of language learning, this muffled hearing can impact speech and language development. If your baby has frequent ear infections or persistent fluid, discuss the potential speech impact with your pediatrician.
Will Ear Tubes Help My Child's Speech?
Ear tubes (tympanostomy tubes) can restore normal hearing by draining persistent fluid from the middle ear. Many children show speech and language improvement within weeks to months after tube placement, particularly if hearing loss from fluid was contributing to their speech delay. However, ear tubes alone may not resolve all speech delays, and some children benefit from speech therapy alongside tube placement.
Baby Failed Newborn Hearing Screen - What Now?
Failing a newborn hearing screen does not necessarily mean your baby has hearing loss. Many babies who fail the initial screen pass on follow-up testing. However, it is critical to complete follow-up testing by 3 months of age. If hearing loss is confirmed, early intervention by 6 months of age leads to significantly better language outcomes.
Baby Using Jargon but No Real Words
Jargon babbling, which sounds like your baby is having a conversation in a made-up language, typically appears between 10 and 14 months and is a positive sign that your baby is learning the rhythm and melody of speech. Real words usually emerge from jargon over the following months. If no real words appear by 16 to 18 months, a speech evaluation may be helpful.
My Baby Is Losing Words or Skills
If your child was consistently using words and has truly stopped, this is something to act on promptly. Regression - the genuine loss of skills a child previously had - is different from a normal plateau or a toddler being too busy to talk, and it always warrants a conversation with your pediatrician sooner rather than later.