This is an English rendering of a Polish public-health reference. The care paths it names (112, night and holiday care NiŚOZ, primary care POZ) are Polish. This is not medical advice.

PL

This is not medical advice Life-threatening emergency (Poland): 112

Home › Speech

When is it a reason for concern that a child is not talking?

Applies to age: 12–60 months

In short

If your child is developing differently from peers, discuss it with a specialist; the well-child checkup (bilans zdrowia) at 2 years of age includes an assessment of speech development. A speech delay is sometimes caused by hearing loss or by a speech or language disorder.

Sources: NIDCD, Portal Pacjenta, Akty prawne w Dzienniku UstawChecked: Report an error

What is normal

Some claims: international norm

  • Children vary in the pace of their speech and language development.
    Source: NIDCD · international norm – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Children vary in their development of speech and language skills.

    NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [1]

  • Every child is different, and their development does not follow a strict pattern.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Każde dziecko jest inne i jego rozwój nie przebiega ściśle według wzorca.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

  • Among the speech and hearing milestones up to the first birthday, the NIDCD list includes that the child has one or two words, for example “Hi”, “dog”, “Dada” or “Mama”.
    Source: NIDCD · international norm – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Has one or two words (“Hi,” “dog,” “Dada,” or “Mama”) by first birthday

    NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [1]

When to worry

Some claims: international norm

  • A delay in speech development is sometimes caused by hearing loss, and in other cases by a speech or language disorder.
    Source: NIDCD · international norm – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Sometimes a delay may be caused by hearing loss, while other times it may be due to a speech or language disorder.

    NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [1]

  • In some children with developmental language disorder (DLD), speech does not appear before the third or fourth year of life.
    Source: NIDCD · international norm – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Some children with DLD may not begin to talk until their third or fourth year.

    NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [1]

  • If you have any concerns about your child's speech or language development, it is worth discussing them with the child's doctor.
    Source: NIDCD · international norm – show the original wording (EN)

    Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:

    Talk to your child’s doctor if you have any concerns.

    NIDCD · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [1]

  • A child who does not react when spoken to may have a hearing problem.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Twoje dziecko może mieć problem ze słyszeniem, jeśli:

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

    Polish original

    nie reaguje, gdy do niego mówisz

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

  • Hearing loss that is not recognized early enough disrupts the child's intellectual, social and emotional development.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Jeśli niedosłuch nie zostanie dostatecznie wcześnie rozpoznany, zaburzy rozwój intelektualny, społeczny i emocjonalny dziecka.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

See a doctor

  • If there are signs of possible hearing loss, including when the child does not react to being spoken to, consult a doctor and have your child's hearing tested; hearing tests are free at any time, not only right after birth.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Skonsultuj się wtedy z lekarzem i zbadaj słuch swego dziecka.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

    Polish original

    Badania słuchu są bezpłatne zawsze, nie tylko zaraz po narodzeniu.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

  • If your child is developing differently from peers, it is worth discussing with a specialist what worries you, and using the advice of a midwife, nurse or pediatrician.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Warto jednak skonsultować ze specjalistą to, co Cię zaniepokoiło i korzystać z rad położnej, pielęgniarki czy pediatry.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

  • Polish care path: the Ministry of Health (MZ) regulation on guaranteed services in primary care (POZ) (consolidated text in the Journal of Laws, Dz.U., 2023, item 1427, Annex 1, part III, item 5) provides, as part of the well-child checkup (bilans zdrowia) at 2 years of age, for a test of the development of auditory responses and an assessment of speech development. This is the timing of the checkup and an indication of what is assessed then, not an age threshold from which a lack of speech is a cause for concern.
    Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    2 lata profilaktyczne badanie lekarskie (bilans zdrowia) obejmuje

    Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [3]

    Polish original

    przeprowadzenie testu rozwoju reakcji słuchowych oraz ocenę rozwoju mowy

    Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [3]

  • The child's well-child checkup is carried out by a family doctor, pediatrician or nurse.
    Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote

    Verbatim quote from the source:

    Polish original

    Badanie przeprowadza lekarz rodzinny, pediatra lub pielęgniarka.

    Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-16 · license [2]

international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.

International norm

“International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.

Sources

  1. NIDCD – Speech and Language Developmental Milestones (USA)
    License: Domena publiczna (USA). Source: NIDCD – Speech and Language Developmental Milestones (USA).
  2. Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl)
    License: CC BY 3.0 PL. Source: Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.
  3. Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl)
    License: Akt normatywny, art. 4 pkt 1 ustawy o prawie autorskim (nie podlega ochronie). Source: Akty prawne w Dzienniku Ustaw (ELI: eli.gov.pl, api.sejm.gov.pl).

See an error or outdated information? Report an error in this answer. Answer checked against the sources on October 16, 2026.

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