PURPOSE: To verify the longitudinal existing correlations between the babies' target of look in the free maternal-filial situation along the first months of development. METHODS: Seventeen healthy babies aged between zero and four months of life were monthly videotaped for 30 minutes in daily situations with their mothers. The recordings were analyzed in consecutive intervals of 30 seconds, being registered the presence or absence of eleven categories of observation of the gaze (target of babies gaze), while they were in state of alertness. RESULTS: Twenty one statistically significant correlations were found among the categories of observation of the gaze, being 16 positive (76.2%) and five negative (23.8%). The moment with the highest number of statistically significant correlations was the fourth recording and the moment with the lowest number of statistically significant correlations was the second recording. The most frequent statistically significant correlation, found in four of five moments (80%) was between the categories " look to the mother's face" and " look to the mother's eyes" . CONCLUSION: The obtained results, related to the existing information on the initial development of young children, allow us to imagine relations between their sensorial, cognitive, social and affective competences and their gaze. The deepening of the theme, with investigations on indications of shared attention in this early phase and considerations about the targets of the babies' gaze and the health of their development seem to contribute to the diagnosis and the prevention of the development disorders.
Child development; Communication; Infant, newborn; Infant; Visual perception
