It is known as motherese, baby talk, or Infant Directed Speech (IDS).
- It contains simple, short utterances
- Uses high-pitch voice
- Has exaggerated intonations to convey affect
- Highlights syntax and lexical units
- Similar to pet directed speech (PDS)
- Helps soothe and comfort babies
- Can produce a visible effect on physiological growth of a 3-4 month old baby, according to one study
Sources
Fernald, A. (1985). Four-month-old infants prefer to listen to motherese. Infant behavior and development, 8(2), 181-195
Saint-Georges, C., Chetouani, M., Cassel, R., Apicella, F., Mahdhaoui, A., Muratori, F., … & Cohen, D. (2013). Motherese in interaction: at the cross-road of emotion and cognition?(A systematic review). PloS one, 8(10), e78103.
