ARCHIVES OF DISEASE IN CHILDHOOD. FETAL AND NEONATAL EDITION
Abstract
Saito et al.1 showed, by means of a two channel NIRS, a differential response of the neonatal brain to maternal Infant Directed Speech (IDS), in comparison to Adult Directed Speech (ADS). Although this is a fascinating research, we would obviously agree with statements such as “IDS functions as a positive stimulation for the emotional development of infants” but at the same time consider rather premature on the scarce data available, and even more so about the suggested functional lateralization for IDS (emotional) processing in the neonatal brain. A multichannel NIRS system, such as the Optical Topography, is needed to detect the distribution of cortical activation. Improved spatial resolution is required in mapping cerebral regions involved in complex functions such as emotional expression.
