SIGNIFICANCE OF GAZE AVOIDANCE DURING INF ANCY FOR THE DEVELOPMENTAL STATUS OF CHILDREN 24-54 MONTHS OLD

In infancy gaze avoidance is assumed to be either parr of a self regul ating system or to indicate an interactional disturbance. In many rega rds, the further development of children with gaze avoidance is unknow n. Within the framework of the prospective Mannheimer Risikokinderstud ie (Mannheim Children at Risk Study), 164 infants with normal gaze beh avior were compared with 30 infants with active and 20 infants with pa ssive gaze avoidance, and followed till the age of 4.5 years. Gaze avo idance was significantly associated with severe pre- and perinatal com plications, and led to serious disturbances of the mother-infant inter action. Children with passive gaze avoidance showed marked cognitive a nd motor developmental retardation, while children with active gaze av oidance only showed moderate cognitive delays. Within both groups an i ncreased frequency of difficult temperament was found. Also, the furth er development of children with passive gaze avoidance was characteriz ed by marked cognitive delays, while children with active gaze avoidan ce were more likely to show emotional and behavioral problems. Within both groups of children an autistic symptoms were overrepresented. The results of the group with passive gaze avoidance fit with the self-re gulation model, and to some degree the results of the group with activ e gaze avoidance were in line with the assumption of an interactional disturbance.