Baby cries

In this report the history of cry studies will be reviewed and various phenomena associated with neonatal vocalization, including the processes of audition, respiration, phonation, and reflexive noisemaking are described. Some of the causes of crying are discussed, along with changes in the acoustical structure of cries as these relate to an infant's maturation. It may be concluded that crying has a powerful evocative effect generally. Cries also can arouse specific physiological responses (e.g., increased lactation) in mothers, and have a diagnostic value for the pediatrician. In the field of developmental linguistics, detailed analysis of crying, cooing, babbling, and other vocalizations of early life may shed light on the verbal and nonverbal aspects of speech, particularly as these grow out of the first few years of life. Rhythmic and musical elements of infant behavior seem to contribute to what has been called “postural conformity” in the infant-mother relationship, undoubtedly an important ingredient in attachment behavior and in the emotional development of the infant.