Resumen
ANTECEDENTES: El estrés parental se ha asociado con dificultades en el desarrollo socioemocional infantil, sin embargo, la evidencia en la primera infancia temprana (0–36 meses) requiere una síntesis actualizada. OBJETIVO: Sintetizar la evidencia empírica sobre la asociación entre el estrés parental y el desarrollo socioemocional y conductual en niños y niñas de 0 a 36 meses. MÉTODO: Se realizó una revisión sistemática conforme a PRISMA. Se incluyeron estudios empíricos que evaluaran estrés parental y desenlaces socioemocionales/conductuales en la primera infancia. Se extrajeron características metodológicas y resultados, y se describieron patrones consistentes, así como evidencia de mediación y moderación. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 21 estudios. De forma consistente, mayores niveles de estrés parental se asociaron con resultados socioemocionales menos favorables, incluyendo mayor riesgo de dificultades internalizantes/externalizantes y menor competencia socioemocional. Algunos estudios evidenciaron asociaciones desde los primeros meses de vida. Además, el estrés parental emergió como mediador entre factores parentales/contextuales y desenlaces infantiles y su impacto fue modulado por características del niño (temperamento) y recursos familiares (apoyo social). En estudios realizados durante COVID-19 se observaron incrementos de estrés parental junto con mayores dificultades regulatorias y socioemocionales. CONCLUSIONES: El estrés parental constituye un factor de riesgo temprano y potencialmente modificable para el desarrollo socioemocional en la primera infancia, lo que respalda estrategias preventivas centradas en el apoyo a la parentalidad.
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