Happy Talk

I remember watching my friends coo dreamily over their offspring and swearing, I'll never sound so infantile. Then, there I was when my own baby came along, oozing endearments like "Aren't yee-oo jee-ust thee kee-yootest lit-tle bay-bee-kins" in a voice that sounded helium-enhanced. This language — Parentese, as it's been christened — appears to be universally instinctive, sharing across all cultures certain traits that dovetail beautifully with an infant's abilities and learning needs. According to neurobiologist Lise Eliot, Ph.D.:

The unhurried cadence is easier for babies to follow because their ears process sound at least twice as slowly as adult ears.

The in-your-face volume helps them distinguish sounds meant for them from background noise.

The high pitch matches the frequency range that babies hear best in the early months of life.