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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
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Acoustic Cry Characteristics of Infants as a Marker of Neurological Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and

Harriet L S Lawford1, Hannah Sazon1, Céline Richard2

  • 1Mothers, Babies and Women's Health Program, Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Pediatric Neurology
|March 4, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Infants with neurological dysfunction exhibit distinct cry patterns, including higher fundamental frequency and unique melodic structures. Acoustic cry analysis may offer a noninvasive screening tool for high-risk infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Acoustic Phonetics
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Atypical infant cries are linked to neurological dysfunction.
  • Understanding these cry characteristics is crucial for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze evidence on acoustic cry characteristics in infants (≤18 months) with or at risk of neurological dysfunction.
  • To appraise the association between specific cry features and neurological impairment.

Main Methods:

  • Searched PubMed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase for relevant peer-reviewed studies.
  • Included studies with non-neurologically impaired control groups.
  • Estimated pooled effect sizes using standardized mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio (OR), assessing heterogeneity and bias.

Main Results:

  • Infants with neurological dysfunction showed higher mean and minimum fundamental frequency.
  • Increased odds of hyperphonation, biphonation, and specific melodic patterns (rise-fall-rise, flat) were observed.
  • Decreased odds of fall-rise-fall melodies were noted in affected infants.

Conclusions:

  • Infants with neuropathology present with unique cries, including elevated fundamental frequency and atypical melodies.
  • Despite limitations like heterogeneity, acoustic cry assessment shows promise for noninvasive, rapid screening of neurologically at-risk infants.
Abstract

Keywords:
BrainInfantNeonatal neurologyNeurodevelopmentNeurological impairmentNeurological screening

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