Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
Exploring Infant Sensitivity to Visual Language using Eye Tracking and the Preferential Looking Paradigm
Published on: May 15, 2019
Visual scanning preferences in low birth weight preterm infants
Vivian R G Lederman1, Ana L Goulart2, Juliana G Negrão1
1Programa de Pós-Graduação em Distúrbios do Desenvolvimento, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Insights
Eye tracking at 6 months shows preterm infants prefer social figures, indicating potential for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening. This tool may aid early identification in high-risk infants.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Limited research exists on using eye tracking as a screening tool for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in preterm infants.
- Preterm infants represent a population at higher risk for developmental disorders, including ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess fixation time on social versus non-social figures in preterm infants using eye tracking.
- To determine the percentage of preterm infants who visually engage with presented images.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 31 preterm infants (birth weight ≤ 2,000 g).
- Eye gaze was evaluated at 6 months corrected age using projected images of social and non-social figures.
- The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) was administered at 18 months corrected age.
Main Results:
- Preterm infants demonstrated longer visual fixation on social figures compared to non-social images.
- Gaze patterns were similar for social/non-social figures and for direct/indirect gazes.
- No infants screened positive on the M-CHAT at 18 months.
Conclusions:
- At 6 months corrected age, preterm infants exhibit gaze abilities in eye-tracking tests.
- A preference for social figures suggests eye tracking's potential as an early screening instrument for ASD.
- This method could offer an additional tool for identifying developmental risks in preterm infants.
Introduction:
Few studies have used eye tracking as a screening tool for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in preterm infants.
Objectives:
To evaluate fixation time on social and non-social figures and percentage of preterm babies who gazed at the images.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study of 31 preterm infants born weighing ≤ 2,000 g in which eye gaze was evaluated at 6 months of corrected age. Six boards with social and non-social figures were projected on a computer screen, successively, evaluating time and percentage of preterm babies who gazed at each board. The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) was answered at 18 months of corrected age.
Results:
Preterm infants showed longer visual fixation time on social figures compared with non-social images, regardless of the position of the social figure on the board. Similar percentages of preterm infants gazed either at social or non-social figures, at social figures with a direct or an indirect look, and at the eyes or mouth of the social figures. No preterm infant screened positive on the M-CHAT.
Conclusion:
At 6 months of corrected age, preterm infants show the ability to gaze in an eye-tracking test, with preference for social figures, suggesting that this tool could be useful as another screening instrument for ASD.
