Newborn Studies

We aren’t currently running any newborn studies. Please check back later for new study opportunities!

In the meantime, you can read a little about previous studies we’ve run below:

Babies are attuned to natural sounds: In order to learn about their environments, babies need to be able to sort through different kinds of information. For example, to learn language, a baby needs to learn how to ignore sounds that aren’t relevant – like electrical or mechanical noise, or bird chirps – and to focus on sounds that are. In this study, we discovered that babies are born with a skill that may help: they can distinguish natural environmental sounds from unnatural sounds. Using fNIRS, a neuroimaging technique that tracks where blood flows in the brain, we found that different areas of the brain are active when newborn babies listen to natural vs unnatural water sounds. This ability may be a building block that helps babies focus on the sounds that will be the best for learning about their environment.