Fundamental Frequency Variation in Crying of Mandarin and German Neonates

Objectives. This study examined whether prenatal exposure to either a tonal or a nontonal maternal language affects fundamental frequency (fo) properties in neonatal crying. Study Design. This is a population prospective study. Participants. A total of 102 neonates within the first week of life served as the participants. Methods. Spontaneously uttered cries (N = 6480) by Chinese (tonal language group) and German neonates (nontonal group) were quantitatively analyzed. For each cry utterance, mean fo and four characteristic variation measures (fo range, fo fluctuation, pitch sigma, and pitch sigma fluctuation) were calculated, averaged for individual neonates, and compared between groups. Results. A multiple analysis of variance highlighted a significant multivariate effect for language group: Wilks lambda=.76, F(6, 95) = 4.96, P <.0001, eta(2)(P) =.24. Subsequent univariate analyses revealed significant group differences for fo variation measures, with values higher in the tonal language group. The mean fo did not differ between groups. Conclusions. Data regarding fo variation in infant cries have been suggested as providing critical insight into the maturity of neurophysiological vocal control. Our findings, alongside with auditive perception studies, further underscore the assumption of an early shaping effect of maternal speech, particularly fo-based features, on cry features of newborns. Further studies are needed to reexamine this observation and to assess its potential diagnostic relevance.