Parent–Infant Attachment and Gross Motor Development During the First 2 Years of Life: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The attachment system is crucial in several aspects of child development. We aimed at synthesizing the existing knowledge on the association between mother/father attachment to the infant and gross motor development during the first 2 years of life. A systematic review following PRISMA standards was preregistered in PROSPERO (CRD42022308841) in April 2022 and conducted in May 2022 (updated: July 2023, July 2024, and January 2025). PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, and PSICODOC databases were searched. Peer-reviewed observational studies in English or Spanish with a minimum score of five on the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, used for assessing bias risk, were included. Results are critically presented and synthesized. Ten studies were selected out of the initial pool of 813 records. Findings are described based on the parent–infant attachment and gross motor development, the association of parental roles and co-parenting dynamics, and the effect of stress on motor development. Positive early parent–infant interactions and secure parent–infant attachment are associated with better infant motor development. Studies with larger samples and more specific motor assessments are suggested for the advancement of the field.