What state is the infant in if they are inactive with mild, agitated vocalizations?

When an infant is described as inactive with mild, agitated vocalizations, they are most accurately interpreted to be in the active alert state. In this state, infants exhibit a level of attentiveness and can be easily stimulated by their environment, which may lead to agitated vocalizations. These vocalizations suggest that while the infant is not fully engaged or energetic, they are still aware of their surroundings and may be responding to stimuli, indicating a readiness to interact or communicate.

In the active alert state, infants are more likely to have their eyes open and may be focusing on objects or faces around them, even if their movements are minimal at times. This level of awareness is contrasted with other states such as quiet alert, where the infant is more calm and largely still, mainly observing without agitation, or in deep sleep, where there is no responsiveness or vocalization whatsoever. The descriptions of sleepy and deep sleep are further characterized by a lack of awareness and engagement with the environment, which would not align with the presence of vocalizations.