The goals of this proposal are to refine and improve the PDS Inc. Automated Cry Analysis System and to study the potential use of infant cry analysis in the identification of subsequent problems in preterm infants at risk for neurodevelopmental delay and term infants at risk for SIDS. PDS Inc. has used innovative signal processing techniques to develop a prototype instrument capable of accurate and efficient acoustical analysis. During Phase I the analysis system will be refined and specifically adapted for Phase II studies. In addition, Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of using existing relationships between PDS Inc. and nationwide academic institutions as the basis for the two Phase II collaborative studies. In the Developmental study 480 infants, 120 term and 120 preterms in each of three groups (healthy, sick, and sick plus CNS disease) will have cries analyzed during the neonatal period. Cognitive, motor and mental development will be assessed at 18 months to test the hypotheses that acoustic properties of the newborn cry predict neurodevelopmental outcome. In the SIDS study 30,000 normal term infants will have cries at 3 and 30 days of age. Outcome will be assessed at 12 months to test the hypothesis that acoustic properties of the cry predict SIDS. A simple, non-invasive test capable of identifying infants at increased risk for either neurodevelopmental delay or SIDS would be in very great demand and has obvious commercial potential.
