Developmental coordination of cry sounds with visual regard and gestures

Developmental changes were examined in behaviors that accompanied infants' naturally occurring cry sounds. By the age of 12 months, most infants were sometimes observed not only to direct their crying toward the caregiver but also to elaborate the sounds by the use of gestures; at the same time, most of them continued to exhibit simple, undirected crying. It appears that the development of the act of crying reflects no single, all-or-none transition but, instead, increasing variability and sophistication in communicative forms and functions.