Katharina Buczek
“One very important point we hope to convey is that we do not interpret these differences in caregiver behavior as contributing in any way to the emergence of autism. To the contrary, we interpret these findings as reflecting caregivers’ remarkable ability to fine-tune their behavior to match the needs and abilities of their infant,” Shultz explained.
One example of this may be a parent responding to an infant’s babbling or playfully mimicking them to show their child that they can communicate.
Socioeconomic status was found to be an influencing factor in how parents communicated with their infants in this study as well. The study showed a relationship between lower household incomes and fewer parent greetings.
Early childhood represents a crucial brain development phase, with past studies indicating that lower household incomes correlate with variations in brain structure and poorer cognitive outcomes. Additionally, heightened parental stress due to lower incomes can influence an infant’s social development.
So, the research team believes their findings emphasize the importance of financial support and other resources for caregivers.
“Future research is needed to determine exactly which infant cues or behavioral differences might have led to the observed differences in caregiver greeting,” Shultz concluded.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, visit the link here.
