Infancy Studies Lab at Rutgers Newark

The most important voice a baby ever hears. 🗣️❤️

Research shows that a mother’s voice is one of the most powerful tools for a baby’s language acquisition and emotional processing. Today, we honor the women providing the “data” that matters most: love, language, and late-night comfort.

Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at the lab!

Source: Effect of Mother’s Voice on Newborn (Beauchemin, Gonzalez-Frankenberger, Tremblay, et al.)
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21149849/

We had such a lovely time meeting all of the new and expecting parents at the 2026 Jersey City Baby Fair! What a wonderful afternoon with 👶✨

Congrats to Jhonacel, the winner of the Brainy Baby Bundle!🎊

If you met us at the fair and are interested in having your little one participate in our study, check out the link in our bio for more details!

Tiny Humans. Big Science. One Huge Giveaway. 🧠✨

We are so excited to announce our Brainy Baby Bundle! 🎁 We’ve curated a collection of our favorite expert-approved essentials—from brain-building toys to parent support items—all designed to help your baby thrive. Swipe to see the lineup!

Want to take the whole bundle home? Come see us in person to enter! 🎟️🍼

📍 Where: Jersey Baby Fair (Hamilton Park Montessori School Annex)
📅 When: Saturday, April 11
⏰ Time: 11 AM - 2 PM

If you’d like to register for this FREE event, please click on the link below: https://jcfamilies.com/event/jc-baby-fair-in-downtown-jersey-city/

Can’t make it to the fair? You can still be a part of the magic! Our Infancy Studies Lab is looking for more tiny pioneers to join our ongoing study. Help us map the science of how babies turn sounds into language. 🗣️🧪 Click our interest form link in the bio to sign up.

From 4 to 18 months, let’s give a round of applause for our baby scientist who graduated from the Baby Lab last week! 👏🎓👶 We are so proud of her and cannot believe how fast time flies! It’s been fun to watch her grow and learn.💖

If you are interested in joining our study, we are currently looking for babies under 4 months of age.🙈 Click on the link in our bio to fill out our interest form!

Guess who’s returning to the Jersey City Baby Fair? That’s right—we are!! 🤩👶🧠

The Baby Lab could not be more excited to attend one of our favorite events of the year! We love to share the fascinating research we do at our lab with new and expectant parents. Stay tuned for more information on the amazing goodies we’ll be raffling at this event! 🎁 Follow our page for updates! 🤫

If you’d like to register for this FREE event, please click on the link below:
https://jcfamilies.com/event/jc-baby-fair-in-downtown-jersey-city/

We’re looking forward to meeting you all soon! ✨

Once a Baby Scientist, always a Baby Scientist! 🧠 🤓 Our sweet alumni big sister returned to the lab and showed her 4-month-old brother the ropes as he starts his very first study. We love seeing how our baby researchers grow up! ✨

Want your little one to join the fun? Fill out our intake form using the link in our bio! Joining is such a special way to create memories, contribute to science, and see your baby’s brilliance in action! 👶 💫

Big discoveries start small ❄️ Meet one of our winter baby scientists. 🤍 Looking to enroll your baby scientist in one of our studies? 🤫🧠 We’re seeking babies under 4 months to learn about infant brain and language development—if you’re interested, fill out the intake form below!

https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8H96hhhzh7JqplI

Development

Looking for fun ways to spend quality time with your baby this winter and support their development? Check out these cool tips from the Baby Lab! 👶❄️

Tip #1: Prioritize daylight ☀️
Morning light helps regulate infants’ circadian rhythms, improving sleep, behavior, and emotional regulation (Rivkees, 2003). Open the curtains or play near a bright window each day. 😊

Tip #2: Use music 🎵
Repetitive musical patterns support sound processing and early communication in infants (Papadimitriou et al., 2021). Try singing or playing music during playtime or diaper changes!

Tip #3: Encourage sensory play 🧸
Sensory experiences support motor, cognitive, and language development (Gibson, 1998). Rotate safe textures, sounds, and visually engaging toys to keep your baby exploring indoors.

BONUS Tip 🤫
Want to know another fun way to spend time with your baby this winter season? Check out our ongoing study for 4-month-olds!

Looking for an activity that both you and your infant can enjoy? 👶 Join our new study for 4-month-olds and help your baby become a baby scientist 🧠✨

Families receive free developmental assessments, financial compensation (paid research 💵), reserved parking on campus 🚗, and take part in safe, child-friendly activities designed just for infants 🧸

So many parents tell us how positive and fun their experiences have been, and how much they’ve learned about their baby through our studies. We’d love to welcome you and your little one to our lab! 🎉