Relation of melody complexity in infants' cries to language outcome in the second year of life: A longitudinal study |
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| Authors: | Kathleen Wermke Daniel Leising Angelika Stellzig‐Eisenhauer |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Center for Pre‐Speech Development and Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodonticswermke_k@klinik.uni-wuerzburg.de;3. Center for Clinical Studies, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany;4. Center for Pre‐Speech Development and Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics |
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| Abstract: | This study is part of the German Language Development Study's prospective longitudinal research programme on infants from birth until the age of 3 years. Thirty‐four infants were retrospectively classified into two groups (normal/delayed) by their language skills at 2.5 years of age. Frequency spectrograms and melodies of about 11,000 cries from the first 16 weeks of life were analysed using a CSL 4400. A Melody Complexity Index was calculated at monthly intervals. Infants with less than 45% complex melodies in their cries during the second month were found to be almost five times more likely to develop a language delay as infants with a higher proportion. For infants above the cut‐off of .45, development of a language delay condition could be ruled out with a probability of 89%. Although the results need to be interpreted cautiously, the data indicate a possible relation between early melody development and later language outcome. |
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| Keywords: | Infant cries melody language development SLI |
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