Spectrographic infant cry analysis in newborns with profound hearing loss and perinatal high-risk newborns

Background: Crying is the first neurophysiological demonstration of the newborn. The acoustic analysis of crying episodes can provide useful information in the early diagnosis of several pathologies. Methods: Spectrographic crying analysis of 40 infants with several diseases such as neonatal asphyxia, breathing disorders, hearing impairment and neurological disorders was carried out. Statistics T test was used in order to compare means of fundamental frequencies (F0) of cries among pathologies as well as the use of contingency tables for qualitative variables and melodic form. Results: No significant differences of F0 were found using t test among pathologies. Time of inspiration in respiratory disorders is higher compared with other groups. Infants with hearing impairment and neurological disorders present poor melodic forms. Qualitative analysis revealed glottal roll and vibrato more often. Conclusions: Cry analysis is clinically useful for early detection of diseases in newborns due to alterations in the central nervous system reflected in phonoarticulatory and respiratory functions for sounds emission.