when can babies hear in the womb

Babies can start to hear sounds in the womb around 16 to 18 weeks of pregnancy. By about 24 weeks, their ears and hearing sensitivity develop more rapidly, and between 25 to 30 weeks, babies begin to respond to sounds from both inside and outside the womb. The most significant sound they hear is the mother's voice, which they can recognize by the third trimester. Sounds from outside the womb are muffled by amniotic fluid and body tissues, but babies can still detect intonations and familiar voices clearly.