Research Project
3508120
The goal of this proposal is to study the potential use of infant cry analysis in the identification of 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 was refined and specifically adapted for Phase II studies. In addition, Phase I demonstrated the feasibility of using existing relationships between PDS Inc. and nationwide academic institutions as the basis for the Phase II collaborative study. During Phase II of this project we will record and analyze the cries of a minimum of 30,000 newborn infants and determine the occurrence of SIDS during the first year of life. The study will include both "low risk" (healthy term) and "high risk" (premature) infants and test the hypothesis that acoustic properties of the cry will predict which infants will die of SIDS. Phase III will utilize this information to direct further refinement and eventual commercializaton of the cry analysis instrument. A simple, non-invasive test capable of identifying infants at increased risk for SIDS would be in very great demand and has obvious commercial potential.
