@article{WermkeRobbSchulter2021,
  author    = {Wermke, Kathleen and Robb, Michael P. and Schulter, Philip J.},
  title     = {Melody complexity of infants' cry and non-cry vocalisations increases across the first six months},
  series = {Scientific Reports},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {Scientific Reports},
  number    = {1},
  issn      = {2045-2322},
  doi       = {10.1038/s41598-021-83564-8},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258669},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {In early infancy, melody provides the most salient prosodic element for language acquisition and there is huge evidence for infants' precocious aptitudes for musical and speech melody perception. Yet, a lack of knowledge remains with respect to melody patterns of infants' vocalisations. In a search for developmental regularities of cry and non-cry vocalisations and for building blocks of prosody (intonation) over the first 6 months of life, more than 67,500 melodies (fundamental frequency contours) of 277 healthy infants from monolingual German families were quantitatively analysed. Based on objective criteria, vocalisations with well-identifiable melodies were grouped into those exhibiting a simple (single-arc) or complex (multiple-arc) melody pattern. Longitudinal analysis using fractional polynomial multi-level mixed effects logistic regression models were applied to these patterns. A significant age (but not sex) dependent developmental pattern towards more complexity was demonstrated in both vocalisation types over the observation period. The theoretical concept of melody development (MD-Model) contends that melody complexification is an important building block on the path towards language. Recognition of this developmental process will considerably improve not only our understanding of early preparatory processes for language acquisition, but most importantly also allow for the creation of clinically robust risk markers for developmental language disorders.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LuekeRitterfeldLiszkowski,
  author    = {L{\"u}ke, Carina and Ritterfeld, Ute and Liszkowski, Ulf},
  title     = {In bilinguals' hands: identification of bilingual, preverbal infants at risk for language delay},
  series = {Frontiers in Pediatrics},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Pediatrics},
  issn      = {2296-2360},
  doi       = {10.3389/fped.2022.878163},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-276639},
  abstract  = {Studies with monolingual infants show that the gestural behavior of 1-2-year-olds is a strong predictor for later language competencies and, more specifically, that the absence of index-finger pointing at 12 months seems to be a valid indicator for risk of language delay (LD). In this study a lack of index-finger pointing at 12 months was utilized as diagnostic criterion to identity infants with a high risk for LD at 24 months in a sample of 42 infants growing up bilingually. Results confirm earlier findings from monolinguals showing that 12-month-olds who point with the extended index finger have an advanced language status at 24 months and are less likely language delayed than infants who only point with the whole hand and do not produce index-finger points at 12 months.},
  language  = {en}
}