Your baby’s cry can indicate underlying clinical problems, according to an analysis by pediatrics researchers Linda LaGasse and Barry Lester of Brown Medical School in Providence,R.I. Their review of several studies showed that infants at medical risk—preemies, for example—have higher pitched, shorter cries. Such cry characteristics may signify a capacity problem in the respiratory system, as well as increased tension and instability of control in the vocal tract.
The latter could be early signs of undetected neurological damage requiring immediate medical attention. It’s possible that early analysis of crying patterns will identify some at-risk infants when no other signs or symptoms are present.
