Can a Baby's Cry Provide Clue to Autism Risk?

Researchers have analyzed brain scans and eye movements as harbingers of autism. Now they’re listening to babies’ cries. Scientists at Brown University think it’s possible that infants’ early cries might provide a clue to whether they’re at risk of developing autism, based on a small study they conducted on about 40 babies. They compared the cries of one group, considered at risk of autism because they had older siblings with the disorder, to a second low-risk group. When the babies were six months old, they were videotaped in order to collect a vocal sampling. At some point during the 45-minute filming, the infants cried.

Researchers have analyzed brain scans and eye movements as harbingers of autism. Now they’re listening to babies’ cries. Scientists at Brown University think it’s possible that infants’ early cries might provide a clue to whether they’re at risk of developing autism, based on a small study they conducted on about 40 babies. They compared the cries of one group, considered at risk of autism because they had older siblings with the disorder, to a second low-risk group. When the babies were six months old, they were videotaped in order to collect a vocal sampling. At some point during the 45-minute filming, the infants cried.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/28/can-a-babys-cry-be-a-clue-to-autism/#ixzz2DY5006rZ