Previous studies have provided preliminary evidence that disruptions in cry acoustics may be part of an atypical vocal signature of autism early in life. We examined the acoustic characteristics of cries extracted from the separation phase of the strange situation procedure in a sample of toddler of younger siblings of a child with autism spectrum…

The purpose of the current study was to predict the development of aggressive behavior from young children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and environmental quality. In a longitudinal sample of 213 children, baseline RSA, RSA suppression in response to a film of crying babies, and a composite measure of environmental quality (incorporating…

Distress emotions in very young children are manifest in vocal, facial, and bodily cues. Moreover, children with different developmental conditions (i.e. autistic disorder, AD; developmental delay, DD; typically developing, TD) appear to manifest their distress emotions via different channels. To decompose channel of emotional distress display by…

Episodes of crying with higher fundamental frequency (f0) are perceived as more aversive and distressful than lower frequency cries. Besides, previous studies have speculated that in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) higher f0 may account for evoking mental states of uneasiness in the caregiver. Moreover no evidence on developmental…

The study with 32 male college students supported previous studies depicting the infant cry as a stressful and aversive event, capable of eliciting increased drinking. Subjects who heard an infant cry consumed significantly more alcohol and reported feeling more aversion, arousal, and distress than subjects who listened to a smoke alarm.…

Reports a study of 110 newborn infants' responses to the heelstick procedure to draw blood samples, and of the responses of 40 of those infants to their first inoculations at two months of age. Discusses measures of distress; stability of reactivity across time; and individual differences and health of the infant as factors in reactivity. (NH)

The potency of different sugars as calming agents in human infants was investigated in 2 experiments with 40 infants. Sucrose and fructose were equally effective calming agents, whereas glucose was less effective. Results indicate that the calming effects of milk lie in components other than its sugar. (LB)

This study, involving 15 nonparental female clients, found that the perceived anxiety and arousal elicited by infant crying were significantly diminished after stress management training. Anxiety measures were strongly correlated with both perceived arousal and the clients' evaluation of infant crying. (Author/JDD)

Twenty male and 29 female active-duty Air Force personnel viewed and listened to videotapes of a crying infant and a smiling infant while heart rate, skin resistance, and respiration rate were monitored. Males showed a larger increase in skin conductance and heart rate than females during the crying infant stimulus. (Author/CR)

The authors document the conceptualization, over time, of "fussy baby syndrome" and the establishment of a Fussy Baby Clinic. Excessive infant crying (commonly called colic) typically subsides in the first 3 months but may set up a cycle of parent-infant distress. Families studied felt a high degree of emotional stress and physical exhaustion;…

Proposes an accepting attitude toward all crying in young children. Notes that crying has been found to be an important and beneficial physiological process that helps children cope with stress. (BB)

Two articles discuss problems that infant caregivers deal with in their work place. The first article provides ideas on how to take care of and pacify a crying baby; the second discusses the experience of a caregiver in a group child-care situation which involved her own child, noting the transition from infant room to toddler room. (AA)

Investigates the effects of an intervention program involving educational, vocational, and parenting classes; social and drug rehabilitation; and infant day care on polydrug-using adolescent mothers. Results show that mothers' and infants' interactions improved, mothers demonstrated a lower incidence of drug use and pregnancy, and a greater number…