Development of the eye contact in babies from zero to four months of age

Author(s)

Aline Elise Gerbelli

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH/SBD)
• Defense date: 2006-07-07

Examining board members

Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes; Claudia Regina Furquim de Andrade; Jacy Perissinoto

• Advisor: Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes

Abstract

The eye contact between the infant and his/her mother is one of the first manifestations of interpersonal communication and its absence is an inidicator of risk for the infant's development. A naturalistic longitudinal study with infants between zero and four months of age can help the understanding of the initial development of the eye contact, aiming clinical and preventive perspectives. Seventeen healthy infants aged between zero and four months were the subjects of this research. After the ethic procedures, each subject received five home visits, which happened in the second fortnight of every month of life. Mothers and infants were video taped during these visits for 30 minutes in their daily routines of interaction and care. The observed activities were classified. These video tapes were watched in intervals of 30 seconds. The states of the babies (six states) and the categories of the observation of the gaze (twelve categories determined to this research) were transcribed in appropriate protocol. The data were registered on an specific software and submitted to statistical analysis of the infant’s visual behavior. In alertness, the subjects presented, along the first months of their development, statistically significant differences in the frequency of the eight categories of gaze observation: “look to mother’s eyes", “look to mother’s face", “look to object(s)", “look to the researcher", “actively looking to the environment", “passively looking to the environment", “look to his/her own body" and “eyes closed". There was a positive correlation between the “look mother’s eyes" and “look to mother’s face" in 80% of the researched moments. The eye contact of the infant and his/her mother can already be detected in the neonatal period, showing gradual frequency increase until the fourth month of life. There are other categories of the gaze that are fundamental in the beginning of the infant’s development and indicate the increase of frequency in the active look directed to other elements of the scene besides the mother. The study presents new data about the development of the eye contact in the first months of life. (AU)