How soon can infants distinguish their mother's voice from others?

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Multiple Choice

How soon can infants distinguish their mother's voice from others?

Explanation:
The ability to recognize the mother's voice is present very early, even right after birth. Fetal hearing in the last trimester exposes the baby to the mother’s voice, so at birth the infant already has a sense of her prosody and rhythm. Newborns reliably show a preference for their mother’s voice over unfamiliar voices and can distinguish it from others within hours to a day or two after birth, as shown by measures like changes in sucking rate or attention. This early recognition supports bonding and comfort, so “soon after birth” is the best description. Choices suggesting later times (a month, six months, or three months) don’t capture this earliest, demonstrated ability.

The ability to recognize the mother's voice is present very early, even right after birth. Fetal hearing in the last trimester exposes the baby to the mother’s voice, so at birth the infant already has a sense of her prosody and rhythm. Newborns reliably show a preference for their mother’s voice over unfamiliar voices and can distinguish it from others within hours to a day or two after birth, as shown by measures like changes in sucking rate or attention. This early recognition supports bonding and comfort, so “soon after birth” is the best description. Choices suggesting later times (a month, six months, or three months) don’t capture this earliest, demonstrated ability.

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