Babies' first words are often seen as a important and precious moment in their development, marking the beginning of their journey into verbal communication. For instance, when the baby looks at his or her parent and says "mama" for the first time, it brightens up the parent's face with joy but it is a meaningful connection in their bond that is growing. For parents, these are some sources of pride and joy. But how do you determine whether your child's speech and language are progressing?

Understanding the communication milestones will help monitor a child's development and spot potential issues before they become more serious. The milestones serve as benchmarks to guide health care providers on whether a child needs further assistance.

Importance of Communication Development in Early Years

The first five years of a child's life are the time of massive growth and brain development at an incredible speed. All domains of development find their roots within this period, including communication. From the day they were born, babies start crying to communicate, and within weeks or months, they begin to babble, imitate sounds, and eventually words. Communication is not only important to express needs but also for understanding the world and building relationships. It is an important tool that supports cognitive, emotional, and social development.

Speech Milestones by Age

Babies learn communication skills at their own pace. General milestones can, however serve as a guideline for typical development. Let's go through these milestones by age:

Newborn (0-3 Months)

At this point, the babies communicate mostly through crying. They give cues as to their needs by responding with actions like smacking the lips when hungry or arching the back when they feel overstimulated. At the end of three months, you may also observe:

• Smiles in response to your appearance.
• Cooing sounds.
• Quiets or smiles when spoken to.
• Your voice.
• Different cries for specific needs.

Upto 6 Months

By six months, babies start experimenting with sounds and use their voice to play. Major developments include:

• Making gurgling sounds during play.
• Babbling with different sounds.
• Vocalizing likes and dislikes.
• Responding to the change in tone of voice.
• Turning eyes toward sounds.
• Showing interest in music and sound-making toys.

Till 12 Months

By the first birthday, there are some significant communication milestones that have been achieved:

• Trying to imitate speech sounds.
• Speaking basic words like "mama," "dada," or "uh-oh."
• Responding to simple commands, such as "Come here."
• Recognizing common items by name, like "shoe."
• Turning toward sounds and voices.

Upto 18 Months

In this stage, children learn to understand and use words in a consistent manner. Some of the important milestones are:

• Knows the names of people, objects, and body parts.
• Responds to simple commands with gestures.
• The child says up to 10 words.

End of 24 Months

By two years of age, children usually have more developed communication skills:

• Using simple sentences, like "more milk."
• Asking one- to two-word questions, such as "Go bye-bye?"
• Following simple directions and answering simple questions.
• Saying 50 or more words.
• Being understood by family members at least half the time.

Ways Parents Can Support Development

Parents can be very supportive in developing the communication skills of their child. Here are some effective strategies:

1. Pay Attention to Hearing: Ensure your child responds to sounds and voices. Notice if they react to noise or look at you when spoken to. If you suspect hearing issues, consult your pediatrician promptly.

2. Engage in Conversation: Respond to your baby’s coos and babbles. Talk to them frequently about daily activities, like “Mommy is making breakfast,” or “We’re going to the park.”

3. Imitation Training: Teach your baby to imitate actions and gestures of others, such as clapping, waving, or peek-a-boo. These activities encourage her to understand turn-taking and even nonverbal communication.

4. Animals Sound: Learning time must be fun. Train your baby to imitate an animal's sound, "A cow says 'moo.'". This encourages sound production along with word association.

5. Read and Sing Together: Reading stories and singing songs expose your child to language patterns and rhythm. Make it a daily habit to promote vocabulary growth.

6. Use Your Native Language: Speak to your child in the language you’re most comfortable with. Early exposure to rich language environments helps babies learn effectively.

7. Strengthen Their Attempts: Cheer every time your child tries to speak. Repeat the words and sounds and gently correct as needed. A little "baby talk" is okay but clearly say simple words for them to imitate.

When to Seek Medical Attention

Though every child develops at his own rate, there are some delays that point toward professional intervention. Talk with your child's health care provider if:

- Doesn't turn toward sounds or his name.

- By 12 months, he isn't babbling, and by 18 months, he has not spoken a single word.

- Uses speech in a peculiar manner or shows delayed speech.

Your pediatrician can refer you to some specialist who could be an audiologist or speech-language pathologist for more extensive testing. In the case of a bilingual child, he will also be evaluated by a bilingual speech-language pathologist.

Communication milestones form a kind of roadmap in understanding how your baby develops. This means through conversation, play, and learning activities, you could be able to enhance language skills while promoting your child's development. When concerned about delay, consult professional help, as this might make all the difference by having communication skills set up to meet a great future for your child.

Communication Milestones: Birth to 1 Year. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

For many couples managing lifelong medical conditions, the fear of infertility often feels unavoidable. But fertility specialists say modern reproductive medicine has changed that reality.

Dr Rupali Tambe, Fertility Specialist at Nova IVF Fertility, Lullanagar, Pune, told Health and Me that chronic illness no longer automatically closes the door to parenthood.

“Couples living with a chronic health condition do not have to rule out parenthood,” she says. “IVF can offer hope with the right planning and care.”

She notes that millions of pregnancies worldwide have been achieved through in vitro fertilization, including among patients with diabetes, thyroid disorders, PCOS, hypertension, asthma and autoimmune diseases.

How Chronic Illness Affects Fertility

Chronic diseases can influence fertility in multiple ways, affecting both partners and every stage of conception.

“Uncontrolled diabetes can impact egg quality, implantation and pregnancy outcomes,” Dr Tambe explains. “Similarly, thyroid imbalance may interfere with ovulation and increase miscarriage risk if untreated.”

Women with PCOS may respond excessively to fertility medications and require carefully adjusted doses to prevent complications. Cardiovascular or high blood pressure conditions also need specialist supervision because hormone stimulation places additional stress on the body.

Autoimmune disorders bring another layer of complexity. “They may affect implantation or early pregnancy and often need tailored treatment plans,” she adds.

Male fertility can also be affected. Diabetes and hormonal disorders may reduce sperm quality, but treatment of the underlying condition can improve IVF success rates.

Preparing Safely For IVF

The first step before starting IVF is stabilizing the medical condition.

“The couple should undergo evaluation and ensure the condition is well controlled,” Dr Tambe says. “Medication adjustments are sometimes necessary because certain long-term medicines are not safe during fertility treatment or pregnancy.”

She strongly advises against self-medication. “Follow the expert’s recommendation before taking any medicine.”

Lifestyle also plays a key role in improving outcomes.

Patients are encouraged to adopt a nutrient-rich diet including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, pulses and lentils while avoiding processed and oily foods. Daily exercise, stress reduction practices like yoga and meditation, and around eight hours of sleep help both fertility and disease control.

Monitoring During Treatment

Close monitoring remains crucial throughout IVF cycles.

“Regular follow-ups, blood tests, scans and health checks help detect problems early and keep treatment safe,” Dr Tambe explains.

Because hormone therapy can affect metabolism, blood pressure and immune responses, doctors track the body’s reaction carefully and modify treatment if needed.

This personalized approach has significantly improved safety for patients previously considered high-risk.

A Journey That Requires Teamwork

Dr Tambe emphasizes that IVF for patients with chronic illness is not just a procedure but a coordinated medical process.

“For individuals living with long-term health issues, IVF is a journey that requires patience, teamwork and informed care,” she says. “Manage the chronic condition and parenthood can become achievable.”

With careful planning, expert supervision and lifestyle discipline, many couples can safely pursue pregnancy despite medical challenges.

More than 70 percent of infant and toddler food products, including drinks and snacks, sold in the United States are ultra-processed and also contain additives that are associated with several health problems, according to a new study.

The study comes as the Donald Trump-led US government recently released updated dietary guidelines for Americans. For the first time, the recommendations urge citizens to avoid highly processed foods and also suggest limiting added sugars and refined carbohydrates.

The February 2026 study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients analyzed 651 food products sold by the top 10 largest US grocery stores for children aged 6 months to 36 months.

The results showed that a whopping 71 percent of products were ultra-processed foods (UPFs) -- containing higher mean levels of total sugar, added sugar, sodium, and energy density than non-UPF products.

The food products also contained significantly harmful additives. Flavor enhancers (36 percent) were the most common additive, followed by thickeners (29 percent), emulsifiers (19 percent), and colors (19 percent).

The study showed that all snack-size packaged products (94 percent) were ultra-processed, followed by full-size packages (86 percent) and pouches (73 percent).

"We’re seeing a growing body of evidence that certain additives may harm health. With emulsifiers, thickeners, and stabilizers potentially altering gut function, and synthetic colors affecting behavioral outcomes in children, the high use of cosmetic additives found in US baby foods is particularly concerning,” said Dr. Elizabeth Dunford, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US.

Notably, the sugar content was greatest for snack and finger foods, with the amount of sugar and added sugars twice that of their non-UPF counterparts. Similarly, the sodium content was also consistently higher among UPFs than non-UPFs.

Almost all snack-size packaged products (94 percent) were ultra-processed, followed by full-size packages (86 percent) and pouches (73 percent).

The researchers called for improving labeling and regulatory standards for identifying UPF ingredients and additives to ensure the availability of appropriate and healthy products targeting the youngest consumers.

Why UPFs Are Harmful

In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the availability and variety of commercial complementary foods on the market in the US, as well as in India.

Research has shown a corresponding increase in several noncommunicable diseases.

Studies have established health risks of regular consumption of UPFs for adults and young children, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. In adults, UPF consumption is also linked with irritable bowel syndrome, depression, and premature death.

UPF And Rising NCD Burden In India

India is facing a significant rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and heart disease, among others.

The Economic Survey, recently tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, flagged the concerning trend, which it attributed to unhealthy diets, lifestyle changes, including sedentary lifestyles, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and environmental factors.

“India is one of the fastest-growing markets for UPF sales. It grew by more than 150 per cent from 2009 to 2023. Retail sales of UPFs in India surged from $0.9 billion in 2006 to nearly $38 billion in 2019, a 40-fold rise. It is during the same period that obesity has nearly doubled in both men and women,” it said.

“The rising use of UPFs imposes a substantial economic cost through higher healthcare spending, lost productivity, and long-term fiscal strain,” it added.

Frida Baby thermometer is facing severe backlash after parents criticized the company's marketing language on its packaging. The parents claimed that the company cracked sexual jokes on using baby thermometers and that it crossed a line for a product that was designed for infants.

The controversy gained more traction this week after a social media user posted about it on X with photos stating that the marketing relies on sexual jokes.

An X user @staystaystace wrote: "sexual jokes to market baby products is actually sick and twisted @fridababy this is absolutely appalling and disgusting".

Frida Baby Thermometer: What Was The Problem With Marketing

The photos include a screenshot of the thermometer packaging on which the graphics are pointed out to be problematic and inappropriate by the parents. Furthermore, the caption on the official account of Frida Baby social media reads: 'This is the closest your husband's gonna get to a threesome...'

In another photo of Frida Baby 3-in-1 Eat, Forehead and Touchless Thermometer, the marketing phrase reads: 'How About A Quickie?'

Another photo on steps for using the humidifier, the caption on the packaging reads: 'I Get Turned On Easily'. While a fourth photo reads: 'I'm A [Powerful] Sucker'.

Parents claim that the brand has used sexual market phrases found similarly on self care toys and massagers for products which are made for infants.

Read: Six-year-old Child Dies Of Medical Negligence During MRI At Greater Noida Imaging Centre

Amid this, older content from 2020, including deleted social media posts resurfaced featuring a baby with visible nose discharge and the caption read: 'What Happens When You Pull Out Too Early #nosefrida #dontmove'.

More recently, Frida Baby again drew attention for an Instagram post that centered on breastfeeding. The carousel post includes slides with statements like: 'Boobs, everyone loves to see them', followed by commentary on how breasts are widely accepted in pop culture, but criticized in the context of feeding a child. The final slide reads: 'Show Us What Your Boobs Can Do', which directs readers to company's website. A user on the Instagram post commented: "Hey so why do you sexualize your products??"

Another photo that resurfaced from 2021 reads: 'Top Windi Pro-Tips to tap that [g]ass (and sometimes even [poop emoji]):

• - Massage it real good
• - Lube that ish up
• - Wear a poncho

However, there were some parents who also defended the brand's tone and argued that humor is clearly aimed at adults who are navigated through the realities of parenting.

Frida Baby Thermometer: How Did The Brand React?

In an emailed statement, as reported by Complex, the spokesperson for the brand said:

From the very beginning, Frida has used humor to talk about the real, raw, and messy parts of parenting that too often go unspoken. We do this because parenting can be isolating and overwhelming, and sometimes a moment of levity is what makes a hard experience feel human, shared, and survivable.

Our products are designed for babies, but our voice has always been written for the adults caring for them. Our intention has consistently been to make awkward and difficult experiences feel lighter, more honest, and less isolating for parents.

That said, humor is personal. What’s funny to one parent can feel like too much to another. We’re never trying to offend, push boundaries for shock value, or make anyone uncomfortable. Importantly, our tone is never separate from our product. The humor we use is always grounded in a specific feature, benefit, or innovation — a reflection of the real problem we are solving for families.

Frida was built to support families through some of the most vulnerable and transformative chapters of their lives. We stand firmly behind that mission. We will continue to show up with honesty, empathy, and courage.

With each decision we make, we will continue to evaluate how we express our voice so that our commitment to families is unmistakable and our tone always meets the moment.