baby talk...
Just watched this segment on Channel NewsAsia about this Australian lady, Priscilla Dunstan, who claimed to have deciphered the different sounds and cries of a newborn baby...
Priscilla Dunstan, founder of Dunstan Baby Language
According to her "Dunstan Baby Language", a newborn of up to 3 months would generate up to 5 key sounds to signal their needs. If these key sounds were ignored or unreciprocated, they'll then turn on their in-built loud-hailers, and emit hysterical screams...
Here are the 5 key sounds:
Neh
"I'm hungry" - An infant uses the sound reflex "Neh" to communicate their hunger. The sound is produced when the tongue is pushed up on the roof of the mouth and the sucking reflex is triggered.
Owh
"I'm sleepy" - An infant uses the sound reflex "Owh" to communicate that they are tired. The sound is produced much like an audible yawn.
Heh
"I'm experiencing discomfort" - An infant uses the sound reflex "Heh" to communicate stress, discomfort, or perhaps that they need a fresh diaper. The sound is produced by a response to a skin reflex, such as feeling sweat or itchiness in the rear.
Eairh
"I have lower gas" - An infant uses the sound reflex "Eairh" to communicate they have flatulence or an upset stomach. The sound is produced when trapped air from a burp is unable to release and travels to the stomach where the muscles of the intestine tighten to force the air bubble out.
Eh
"I need to burp" - An infant uses the sound reflex "Eh" to communicate that they need to be burped. The sound is produced when a large bubble of trapped air is caught in the chest and is trying to release out of the mouth.
Are there any new parents out there who might be able to try out these sounds and see if they could actually apply them to their own newborn babes?
But of course, this baby talk is mostly a one-way thing. The baby talks, you just listen and obey...