Affinity toward human voice

Babies have special affinity toward human voices. This is because they are used to hearing human voice from their time in the womb. They also may exhibit inclination toward voice of the mother because the baby spends maximum time with the mother before birth.

Preference toward high-pitched voice than deeper voice

Voices, like faces, hold special interest for the newborn. He's particularly responsive to high-pitched voices, such as a women's voice or children's voice. But you'll notice that almost every one, including men, will pitch their chatter and noises high for a newborn perhaps because he seems too little and delicate for deeper sounds, or because they soon learn how best to bring out his bright-eyed responses. It may be that babies show this preference for higher and lighter voices because from their first days they generally hear more from their mothers than from other persons. And even in the womb, where sounds are muffled, they hear the tonal pitch of their mothers' voices.

Also a very young baby doesn't care who a voice or a face belongs to; her responses can be tested by anyone. If a man is on one side, talking to him in his normal adult voice, and a woman or child takes turn talking on the other side, the baby will almost always turn his attention to the higher voice.

Tracking a sound

Even though the baby can often sleep peacefully in a noisy room, he can sometimes be awakened by a whisper close to his ear. As he begins to stir and open his eyes he will also start searching for the source of the voice, moving his head and eyes and then becoming quite interested when he discovers the source. Relating sounds and sights - coordinating the sense of hearing and seeing - is an important basis for learning.

Tracking a sound, like tracking a moving object, is excellent practice. When your baby is awake and in mood for little games, shake a rattle or a bell behind him. Notice how he perks up and looks around; move the sound maker slowly and see how he brightens when his eyes catch hold of it. Try placing yourself near him but out of sight, and talk to him, first on one side then the other; he will turn his eyes and head toward the side where your voice is coming from.