Babies laugh as they both exhale and inhale, in a manner that is remarkably similar to non-human primates, says a new study that can offer insight into vocal production of children with developmental disorders.
The findings showed that the youngest babies commonly laughed on both inhalation and exhalation, as do non-human primates like chimpanzees.
In the older babies, however, laughter was primarily produced only while exhaling, as is the case in older children and adults. “Adult humans sometimes laugh on the inhale but the proportion is markedly different from that of infants’ and chimps’ laughs. ,” said Disa Sauter, an associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam.
