Research Database

Heart-to-heart: Infant heart rate at 3 months is linked to infant-directed speech, mother–infant interaction, and later language outcomes

Topic:

Not Recorded

Journal/Publication:

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience

Year:

2024
Participant Age Range:

Sample Size:

31

Participant Language:

English

Abstract:

Introduction: Previous studies underscore the importance of speech input, particularly infant-directed speech (IDS) during one-on-one (1:1) parent–infant interaction, for child language development. We hypothesize that infants’ attention to speech input, specifically IDS, supports language acquisition. In infants, attention and orienting responses are associated with heart rate deceleration. We examined whether individual differences in infants’ heart rate measured during 1:1 mother–infant interaction is related to speech input and later language development scores in a longitudinal study.