You're probably so in tune with your baby's cry that you easily
know the difference between an "I'm wet" wail and a whimper that
tells you someone is getting very, very sleepy. But can babies'
cries also reveal important clues about their risk for autism?
It's possible, according to a small study from researchers at
Brown Medical School and Boston University that says that
certain sounds and pitches infants make when they cry can
identify which babies are most likely to be diagnosed with
autism spectrum disorder as children. And this has parents
listening up. What kind of sounds are we talking about?
Researchers recorded cries from 39 6-month-old infants, 21 of
whom were at risk for autism because they had an older sibling
with the condition (having an older brother or sister with
autism is a known risk factor for the disorder). The other 18
babies had no family history of autism. After a computer
analysis of the sounds, researchers found that babies in the
high risk group tended to cry at higher pitches, and