This study aimed at analyzing the characteristics of initial mother-baby interactions in a Brazilian urban environment; the relationship between the interaction characteristics, mother's activities and their conception about the baby's competences; and the relationship between the characteristic of those activities and the baby's awareness state. A sample of 30 mother-baby dyads was observed. The dyads consisted of mothers and her babies who were, on average, 29-days old. The dyads were videotaped for 20 minutes and the mothers were asked to answer a questionnaire. The data were analyzed in terms of the percentage of the occurrences of the dyad's activities and interaction. The episodes of interaction observed were short-term, mainly face-to-face, having a specific context and mostly distinguished as social activities. The babies were evaluated as active and participant in the social exchange. The results contribute with important elements for the discussion of the nature of the first interactional processes.
Mother-infant interaction; early interaction; initial development
