Babies can start smiling soon after they’re born, but as they develop, you can expect to see different types of newborn smiles at different times.
One of the best benefits to surviving sleepless nights with a newborn? Being greeted by your baby’s very first gummy grins, which can occur within the first few weeks. But typically when babies are 2 months old, they begin to flash a different kind of smile.
“The first social smile usually appears in the second month. The human face interests the baby, who answers a smile with a smile,” according to the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. These smiles are entirely conscious and on purpose. They’re a way for your baby to connect with you, or to respond to seeing you or hearing your voice.
Here, we explain when you can expect to see your baby’s first “real” smiles, what they mean and fun ways to encourage your happy baby to keep grinning.
When do newborns smile?
Babies initially smile as a reflex, which usually happens while they sleep. Typically, babies start smiling socially, which some think of as “real” smiles, between 6 and 12 weeks. This is typically a response to someone or something that they recognize or that gives them a feeling of pleasure.
Parents can expect their pediatrician to ask whether their baby is smiling at the 2-month-old checkup because it’s an important part of their social and emotional development. When parents predictably respond in a positive way to their baby’s smiles, the baby gains confidence in the fact that they can exert some control over their world.
Understanding physical vs. social baby milestones
Physical baby milestones refer to significant moments like rolling over or crawling that happen once a baby has developed the necessary muscle control and strength.
On the other hand, social milestones are those associated with interactions and emotions, including behaviours such as smiling, laughing and mimicking facial expressions.
Between 6 and 12 weeks, both physical and social milestones occur, which help us understand why this is the time when babies start to smile. During this stage, babies experience enhanced visual clarity, which gives them the ability to identify the faces of their caregivers. Additionally, their emotional growth advances significantly. When parents offer positive reinforcement through cuddles, smiles or soothing words, they help the infant understand that smiling is a positive behaviour.
How do I encourage my baby to smile?
One of the key ways families can nurture both the physical and emotional development of their babies is by being there for them and engaging in soothing, comforting interactions. This can involve talking, singing and reading.
Here are some tips on interacting with infants and ways to encourage smiling:
Smile at your baby
Babies learn by copying those around them, and that includes facial expressions. By smiling at them, and especially by smiling back at them when they smile at you, you can show them that smiling is fun and socially beneficial.
React to what they are interested in
Like any other person, your baby has things that they like and other things that they don’t, which you’ll get to know as a parent. This includes different types of sounds, touches and facial expressions.
To encourage newborn smiles, first pay attention to how your baby responds to stimuli around them. Watch where they tend to look and how they like to move to see where their interest naturally lies, then go from there to encourage smiles. For example, if your baby is tuned into your voice, try playing with different ways of talking or singing to your baby. If they tend to stay focused on your face, try changing your facial expressions.
Put down the phone
Babies seek out eye contact and are eager to see your face. While it’s common for parents to want to document these precious moments by taking pictures and videos, phones and cameras can distract your baby from actually seeing you. Make sure to put your phone down and really engage with your newborn’s smile.
When should I worry about my baby not smiling?
If an infant is not smiling by 12 weeks of age, it is important to share this concern with your healthcare team. All babies develop at different paces, but it is possible that failure to develop these skills within the usual timeframe could be due to a hearing or vision problem.
Within this timeframe, however, experts emphasize that the exact timing for seeing your baby’s first smile varies between children, and that is perfectly normal. Public Health Sudbury reminds parents: “Keep in mind that every infant is unique and grows and develops at different rates. Monitoring your infant’s physical growth will help you to understand the realistic expectations according to their age.”
Babies also have different ways of responding to their environment. The kinds of stimuli that might cause one baby to smile in happiness — a light tickle, funny face or silly singing voice — might prompt another baby to wiggle their little body in bliss.
What comes after smiling for babies?
Smiling advances into the development of more fun new social skills. Oftentimes, your baby may start to coo that very same month, and laughing typically begins around 4 months.
Smiles are usually followed by baby milestones such as mimicking sounds and beginning to coo, giggle and make other vocalizations. Language development begins early in infancy as babies come to recognize their caregivers’ voices, tone and expression. By 6 months, they will recognize speech patterns and respond to them.
The bottom line on smiling in newborns
A baby’s very first smile tends to be a reflex rather than a conscious behaviour, and occurs within the first few weeks. Between 6 and 12 weeks, babies begin smiling in response to something that makes them happy. These first “real” smiles are an important part of your baby’s social and emotional development, which is why your pediatrician will likely ask about this developmental milestone during your 2-month check up.
Developmental milestones are significant events in your baby’s development that generally happen in a predictable order. For both physical and social baby milestones, there is an age range when they tend to happen; however, the exact timing of your newborn’s first smile can vary.
Children reach developmental milestones at specific ages, which can make parents anxious if they anticipate particular behaviours or responses that their child may not yet be ready for. It helps to know that there is a broad range of what’s considered typical in terms of these milestones.