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Associations between respiratory arrhythmia and fundamental frequency of spontaneous crying in preterm and term infants at term‐equivalent age
Author(s) -
Shinya Yuta,
Kawai Masahiko,
Niwa Fusako,
MyowaYamakoshi Masako
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.21412
Subject(s) - crying , term (time) , respiratory frequency , medicine , psychology , pediatrics , audiology , respiratory system , developmental psychology , psychiatry , physics , quantum mechanics , tidal volume
This study investigated whether lower vagal function in preterm infants is associated with increased fundamental frequency ( F 0 ; frequency of vocal fold vibration) of their spontaneous cries. We assessed respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during quiet sleep as a measure of vagal function, and its relationship with the F 0 of spontaneous cries in healthy preterm and term infants at term‐equivalent age. The results showed that preterm infants have significantly lower RSA, and higher overall F 0 than term infants. Moreover, lower RSA was associated with higher overall F 0 in preterm infants, whereas higher RSA was positively associated with mean and maximum F 0 , and a larger F 0 range in term infants. These results suggest that individual differences in vagal function may be associated with the F 0 of spontaneous cries via modulation of vocal fold tension in infants at an early developmental stage. © 2016 The Authors. Developmental Psychobiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 58:724–733, 2016.