At birth, the only way infants can communicate is through crying. At birth, crying is a reflexive behavior, but the crying reflex begins to disappear during the first month of life, and infants then begin to cry deliberately for assistance. Between one and two months of age, infants will start to make gurgling and cooing noises as a mark of pleasure and contentment. At this age, infants may begin to grunt and sigh, too. What Baby Understands.
Many parents are unaware of how much their newborns are able to do and to understand.
For example, newborn infants can tell their mother's voice from all others, and when they hear their mother's voice, their eyes will move in its direction. By one month of age infants will watch their mothers while they are talking, and if their faces are close enough, infants will mimic speaking by opening and closing their mouths. By one month of age, infants will also imitate movements of their mother's face. Infants this age will probably stop crying when they are picked up by their mother, because they know that their mother is a source of comfort.