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...