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Although the pattern of visual attention towards the region of the eyes is now well-established for infants at an early stage of development, less is known about the extent to which the mouth attracts an infant's attention. Even less is known about the extent to which these specific looking behaviours towards different regions of the talking face (i.e., the eyes or the mouth) may impact on or account for aspects of language development. The aim of the present systematic review is to synthesize and analyse (i) which factors might determine different looking patterns in infants during audio-visual tasks using dynamic faces and (ii) how these patterns have been studied in relation to aspects of the baby's development. Four bibliographic databases were explored, and the records were selected following specified inclusion criteria. The search led to the identification of 19 papers (October 2021). Some studies have tried to clarify the role played by audio-visual support in speech perception and early production based on directly related factors such as the age or language background of the participants, while others have tested the child's competence in terms of linguistic or social skills. Several hypotheses have been advanced to explain the selective attention phenomenon. The results of the selected studies have led to different lines of interpretation. Some suggestions for future research are outlined., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Despite recent evidence on the relation between motor development and language development in infancy, this relation is still little explored in the late second and third year. This study investigated whether gross and/or fine motor skills affect language outcomes in this age range and whether any such effects narrow over time to specific language categories related to motor experience, such as spatial vocabulary. Thirty-six Italian monolingual toddlers (58% girls) participated, divided into two groups based on their age. They were assessed twice: the younger group at 18 (Time-1) and 24 months (Time-2); the older group at 24 (Time-1) and 30 months (Time-2). At Time-1 motor and language abilities were measured using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales. At Time-2, only language outcomes (three vocabularies: nouns, predicates, and spatial terms) were assessed, using the Picture Naming Game-PiNG. Hierarchical linear regressions show that motor skills affect language abilities also in the late second and third year, but the impact varies according to the type of motor skills (gross vs. fine) and children's age. At 18 months, controlling for linguistic abilities, a global score of gross motor skills predicted predicate production, and a specific gross-motor coordination skill: general dynamic coordination (GDC) predicted noun production at 24 months. At 24 months, controlling for linguistic abilities, GDC predicted predicate production, and a combination of fine- and gross-motor coordination skills (bilateral coordination and GDC) predicted spatial vocabulary comprehension at 30 months. Overall, results suggest that the relation between motor and language development is not simple or stable over time, but rather dynamic., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)