A systematic review of parent–infant interaction in infants at risk of autism

This systematic review aimed to identify a developmental timeline for parent–infant interaction in the first 2 years of life in at-risk infants and in emergent autism spectrum disorder, and to examine any parent–infant interaction associations with later social-communicative outcomes.

In total, 15 studies were identified investigating parent–infant interaction in infants at familial autism risk (i.e. with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder). Starting from the latter part of the first year, infants at risk of autism spectrum disorder (and particularly infants with eventual autism spectrum disorder) showed parent–infant interaction differences from those with no eventual autism spectrum disorder, most notably in infant gesture use and dyadic qualities.