infant cries

[Brian MacWhinney]

Dear Shannon,
     We know that infants have a variety of stereotyped cries  
(pleasure, pain, birth, hunger) and that new ones get added in the  
first months. But no one has ever reported neh, owh, heh, eairh, and  
eh as the inventory before Dunstan.
     You can do a google search for "Priscilla Dunstan infant cries"  
and you will find a Wikipedia article
summarizing her views, along with a cogent criticism of her claims.   
Given the criticisms provided there, I think that
one would want to have some independent confirmation from a  
researcher working with infant cries that
would support this five-cries theory.  Otherwise .......

--Brian MacWhinney

On Jan 4, 2007, at 3:41 PM, Shannon Casey wrote:

> Did anyone see the Oprah episode or the Today show with a woman named
> Priscilla Dunstan talking about different types of cries that she has
> identified?  I have read about being able to distinguish cries  
> before, but I
> couldn't in my own infant - only "upset" and "very upset".
>
> I am asking because baby cries is not my area (obviously) and I was
> wondering if anyone who is familiar with cries agrees with her
> interpretation.  She has a DVD of cry examples and I would like to  
> be able
> to provide examples in class.
>
> -Shannon Casey
>
>
>