Comparative Analysis of Early Caregiver–Child Interaction Patterns in Infants and Toddlers: Evaluating Down Syndrome vs. Typical Development

Background: The dynamic, reciprocal, and bidirectional relationships in encounters between infants and their caregivers are called early interactions. Evidence shows that these interactions influence cognitive, emotional, and social development beyond the early years. While some studies have examined these interactions in dyads with infants with Down syndrome, they have mostly focused on parents in small samples. This study explores these interactions by considering parental, infant, and interaction variables. Methods: A total of 128 dyads participated, with 64 infants with Down syndrome and 64 typically developing infants, matched one-by-one by developmental age. During home visits, socio-demographic and developmental information was collected, development and dyadic interactions were assessed using standardised instruments. Descriptive analyses, MANOVAs, and ANOVAs were conducted comparing the group of dyads that included infants and toddler with Down syndrome and those with typical development. Infant and toddler gender showed significant differences and was included as a relevant factor in the analyses. Results: Key findings include lower scores in parental sensitivity and non-directiveness in dyads with children with Down syndrome. Children with Down syndrome also showed lower scores in attention to the caregiver. Interactions with children with Down syndrome exhibited less mutuality and engagement. Significant gender-based interactions were found, showing that parents are more sensitive and less directive with girls with Down syndrome, who also show greater expression of negative affect and better attention to the caregiver. Conclusions: This study suggests different qualities in early interactions when a child with Down syndrome is involved. These interactions are characterised by lower sensitivity and greater directiveness, possibly in response to the lower attention towards the caregiver observed in these children. This results in less mutual interaction. The findings' alignment with previous research and implications for clinical work are discussed. Given the observed effect of the child's gender, future research should further explore this aspect.