When Will My Baby Smile? | Child Development (2024)

FAQs

What age do babies start to smile properly? ›

If you're still wondering, “When will my baby smile?” – rest assured, the answer is usually between 6 and 12 weeks. However, every baby is different! Check out what else to expect from your baby.

Answer. ​​​A baby's first social smile usually appears by the end of their second month. That's one reason why, as a pediatrician, seeing babies and their parents at the 2-month-old checkup is always a great pleasure.

According to researchers, a baby's smile can indicate a range of clues toward their social and emotional development starting almost right after birth. Furthermore, the types of responses your baby gets after making certain facial expressions could leave a lasting imprint on their social responses.

If a baby does not begin imitating caregivers' smiles between 6 and 12 weeks of age, talk to a doctor. Other reasons to talk to a doctor include if a baby: stops smiling at caregivers. seems very uncomfortable with eye contact or never smiles when looking at caregivers.

While some babies with autism do smile, they may exhibit unique characteristics in their smiles that set them apart. It's important to note that not all babies with autism exhibit the same smiling patterns, as autism is a highly variable condition.

You can expect to see the first real smile when your baby is around 8 weeks old. This is a "social smile," which your baby makes to engage with others. By about 2 months old, most babies have started smiling, but some may take a little longer to flash a grin.

What's wrong? Rest assured there's nothing wrong. It's not until around six weeks to eight weeks that your baby is able to become more social and maintain eye contact with you, and it may take even longer for them to smile in response to your smile or answer you with burbles and coos.

But if baby doesn't smile often, that doesn't mean anything is wrong with them. Just like adults, babies have different temperaments,” says Goldenring. That said, if baby hasn't smiled in the first few months of life and you're concerned, try observing their level of engagement with the world.

Since babies are often on their backs, fixing their eyes straight ahead to check out the fan, the ceiling texture, or some lights is all normal and completely fascinating to them. Many caregivers say that their baby loves ceiling fans.

What does it mean when a baby stares and smiles at you? ›

They Are Trying to Communicate

As early as three months, babies learn to recognize their parents or primary caregivers. And there staring is their way to communicate. Babies can't quite interact yet for the first few months, so their staring is their way of communicating with you.

Researchers find that social signals like eye contact and smiling are associated with improved social learning in babies. As your baby matures, they learn that smiling can help them keep their caregivers' attention. Even in the earliest months, they're learning about subtle social interaction.

Just as some adults are quicker to smile than others, some babies are too. If your 1-month-old still isn't smiling, don't be alarmed. That first "real" smile can seem frustratingly elusive, because for even some of the happiest babies, it can happen any time between 4 weeks and 4 months of age.

Until then, it can feel like their head is a wobbly wrecking ball held up by a bunch of spaghetti noodles. Thankfully, that all begins to change around 3 months of age, when most babies develop enough strength in their neck to keep their head partially upright. (Full control usually happens around 6 months.)

If your baby isn't showing you their adorable smiles by 2 months old, there's no need to worry, Odom says. “Every baby doesn't follow the textbook, and some take up to 4 months to start smiling socially. Social smiling is a part of her social development, but not the only component.”

It may be possible for your baby to smile at 4 weeks but usually only while he's sleeping. This is called a reflex smile. Your little one may not flash a true smile until about 6 weeks or a little older, and these true smiles happen when he's awake and alert.

Ensuring they're well rested. Just like adults, baby won't smile much if they're hungry, tired or cranky, explains Scott. It's also important to remember that every baby is different. “Some babies are more serious than others and may be more selective with their smiles,” Goldenring adds.

Differences in Smiling Behavior

While neurotypical babies typically begin smiling socially around two to three months of age, babies with autism may show delays in reaching this developmental milestone. The delay in social smiling can be one of the early indicators of autism in infants.

Of course, some infants may start slightly turning and lifting their heads as early as one month of age. “Significant control and the ability to hold their head up without support typically develop \between] 3 to 5 months of age,” says Gary Reschak, MD, a pediatrician at Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group.