KEY POINTS:
A newly discovered baby language is helping infants sleep through the night and mothers bond with their babies.
After eight years of research, Australian mother Priscilla Dunstan says she has discovered a universal baby language, comprised of five distinct sounds.
Dunstan says babies produce the different sounds depending on their needs. 'Neh' means the child is hungry, while 'owh' indicates he or she is tired.
Other sounds include 'eh', 'eairh' and 'heh', which mean the infant needs burping, has wind or is uncomfortable.
Dunstan says babies make these sounds during the "pre-cry stage" - before they start crying hysterically - thus, parents who learn to identify the noises should be able to reduce the frequency of screaming outbursts.
Dunstan, who has always had a sharp listening skills, identified the five key sounds after spending hours listening to her own son and other infants.
She has since developed and released a Dunstan Baby Language DVD, which is available in Australia, America and is soon-to-be released in Britain.
Independent research of Dunstan's system, which observed 400 mothers in Sydney and Chicago this year, found 90 per cent of all mothers thought the system beneficial. 70 per cent reported their baby settled faster and 50 per cent said they felt a greater bond with their child.
First-time mother Liz Ranta, from Chicago, told the New York Post she felt like "the worst mother in the world," before discovering Dunstan's language.
"I just can't say enough about [Dunstan's method]. This needs to be in the going-home package from the hospital."
- NZHERALD STAFF
