A Study on the Vocal Behavior of Preterm Infants

This study investigated the vocal behavior of preterm infant in 3-month-old of corrected age. The former study suggested that the average fundamental frequency was not different between the full-term infants and preterm infants compared by the corrected age. But, in this study, the preterm infants who admitted NICU for a certain duration has higher average fundamental frequency than that of full-term infants in spite of same corrected age. As it was reported that the average fundamental frequency fell in proportion as the infant grew up, this result would suggested the developmental retardation of phonic organ. And the preterm infants were observed the prematurity to control their pitch excursion of utterances. Hereafter, we should observe the developmental change of these prematurity and the influence of these prematurity to the mother-infant vocal interaction