Pain cry in full-term asphyxiated newborn infants correlated with late findings

115 pain-induced cries from 45 full-term newborn infants with pre- and perinatal asphyxia were analyzed by sound spectrographic methods. All the infants had signs of intrauterine asphyxia and Apgar score of 6 or less at 5 min. The mean birth weight was 3170 g. The pain cries were recorded before the age of 8 days, 83% of the cries before 3 days of age. The cry analysis was compared with the pain cries of 75 full-term, healthy newborn infants of corresponding birth weight and gestational age. The results showed significant differences between the cries of the asphyxiated newborn and the healthy infants. The duration of the phonation was shorter, the maximum and minimum pitch of the fundamental frequency was significantly higher. Bi-phonation and vibrato occurred more often, double harmonic break and glottal roll less often. An increase in rising, falling-rising and flat types of melody was observed. Retrospectively, the cries were more abnormal if the infant was found to be neurologically damaged at t he check-up at 2-8 years.