When Will My Baby Smile for the First Time
When Do Babies Smile?
Waiting for your little one to flash a gummy grin? Learn more about your baby’s first smile to see what it means for social and emotional development.
Updated on October 16, 2022
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/shutterstock_464199479_0-09163d4437ff4e8e8ceec3e300ecdad8.jpg)
Believe it or not, your baby was probably smiling long before they were born. Babies can smile very early in life, even in utero, says Mark Gettleman, M.D., a pediatrician and owner of Dr. Goofy Gettwell Pediatrics in Scottsdale, Arizona. These first smiles aren’t intentional or in response to anything. Instead, they’re reflex smiles, similar to the jerky arm and leg movements your baby’s body experiences as it goes through the equipment-testing process, Dr. Gettleman says.
Soon enough, though, your little cutie will flash their first “real” smile, which signals improvements in social, emotional, and visual development. Keep reading to learn more about when babies first smile, and how to encourage them to flash that adorable gummy grin.
When Do Babies Smile for Real?
By about 6 to 12 weeks, your baby will begin to smile in response to you (social or “real” smiles). Until then, sweet-looking grins are automatic reflexive smiles in response to gas and other bodily functions.
You can tell the difference between a reflex and real smile by the timing and duration. Generally, reflex smiles tend to be shorter and occur randomly, when the baby is sleeping or tired. Real smiles, on the other hand, occur in response to something, like seeing mama’s face or hearing a sibling’s high-pitched voice, and they are consistent, Dr. Gettleman explains. When it’s the real deal, you will see the emotion expressed in your baby’s eyes.
At first, your little one’s happy face will be in response to a mix of vocal and visual stimulation. They may light up from watching you sing a favorite lullaby or talk through a particularly yucky diaper change. Later, when their vision improves, simply seeing the face of their favorite people (you and your partner!) will be enough to make them crack a smile. You’ll be the recipient of most of your baby’s smiles, but they’ll also exchange grins with others (that is, until stranger anxiety kicks in at around 6 months).
As your baby gets more smiling practice and enjoyment from seeing people’s reactions, they’ll start adding sound effects, Dr. Gettleman says. “It will start with cooing at first, and then lead to small giggles and waves of giggling,” he says. By 5 months, your babe may surprise you with full-out belly laughs and squeals of excitement.
How Smiling Helps Your Baby’s Development
When babies smile, it’s a sign that their vision has improved and they are able to recognize faces. Their brains and nervous systems have matured enough to eliminate reflex smiles, and they are now aware that smiling lets them connect with others. Your little one is also beginning to realize that their feelings matter and have a direct effect on the people around them. They’ll smile to express pleasure, excitement, contentment, and happiness. Consider it their way of saying, “Hey, you’re doing a good job!” or “This breast milk rocks! Please give me more.”
How to Make Your Baby Smile
Still waiting to see your baby’s lips curl? Encourage them by talking to them often (make sure you give them time to “respond”), making eye contact frequently, and smiling at them throughout the day. And don’t be afraid to get silly: Making funny faces or noises, imitating animal sounds and behaviors, blowing raspberries on your baby’s belly, or playing a game of peek-a-boo may push that smiley button on.
Be careful not to overdo it though. “Babies are developing the ability to regulate their emotions and may look away if they are getting too much stimulation,” says child psychologist David Elkind, Ph.D., author of Parenting on the Go: Birth to Six, A to Z. Give your kiddo a little breather and try again later.
Once your baby does grin, they’ll do it again and again. Why shouldn’t they? When they grace you with a smile, your eyes brighten, you ooh and ahh, and you reciprocate with a beaming smile of your own. They dig that!
When to Call the Doctor
Though you’re likely anxious to see your little darling’s smile, a lack of early grins doesn’t necessarily mean your baby is unhappy or that something is wrong. Babies will hit this milestone at different times, and some may need a few extra weeks. But if your baby isn’t smiling by 3 months, mention it to your pediatrician.
When Will My Baby Smile for the First Time?
All What to Expect content that addresses health or safety is medically reviewed by a team of vetted health professionals. Our Medical Review Board includes OB/GYNs, pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, doulas, lactation counselors, endocrinologists, fertility specialists and more.
We believe you should always know the source of the information you’re reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies.
on August 9, 2021
Latest update:
Thinkstock
Your little one’s first baby grin will melt your heart sooner than you think — and soon come accompanied with a just-as-sweet laugh.
Back to Top
In This Article
- When do babies smile for the first time?
- When do babies social smile?
- How can I encourage my baby to smile?
- What if my baby isn’t smiling yet?
- When do babies start smiling and laughing?
The first time your baby smiles at you, all the sleepless nights, morning sickness and newborn stress will suddenly seem worth it, a million times over. There’s just nothing sweeter than an infant’s face lighting up with happy recognition or delight.
Smiling is also a welcome sign of baby’s growing social skills, now that your newborn is making the transition from sweet sleepy lump to a sociable, irresistible little person.
When do babies smile for the first time?
Babies start smiling quite early on — while they’re still in the womb, in fact. You may have caught baby working on her smile on a second-trimester (or later) ultrasound, or seen it for the first time on her sleeping face soon after she arrived.
But you’ve probably also heard — from your mother-in-law, your pediatrician and all your friends with kids — that a newborn’s smiles aren’t “true” smiles. The truth is, they’re right in that these reflexive smiles differ from the social smiles yet to come. (But if you prefer not to care, that’s just fine!)
Newborns may smile when passing gas, falling asleep, feeling comfy or peeing. Feel free to revel in those sweet first smiles, no matter what their cause. Who could blame you?
Before she launches her first full-fledged social smile, you may see your baby doing lots of smile trial runs, practicing and exploring how her mouth moves.
When do babies social smile?
Your baby’s first true smile will most likely occur sometime between weeks 6 and 8 (and usually not before weeks 4 to 6), and it will most likely be in response to recognizing someone very special, like you! For a social smile, she’ll use her whole face, not just her mouth — you’ll notice the difference when you see it.
Read This Next
Her social smile will soon become another way for her to communicate with you and connect with the world around her. And by 3 months, she may even start up a “conversation” with you by gurgling and smiling to catch your attention. You can “answer” by smiling (and cooing or speaking) in response!
How can I encourage my baby to smile?
To help your baby along, smile at her, cuddle her, play with her and talk to her often. You can’t spoil a newborn, and numerous studies have shown that babies who receive lots of parental care and affection early on develop faster, have larger brains and are more sociable. So if you can’t wait to see those first real smiles, snuggle away, and smile at her like she’s the best thing since sliced bread (which, really, she is).
What if my baby isn’t smiling yet?
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.
You may have heard that a delay in smiling is considered an early indicator for autism spectrum disorder. And while this is true, a delay in smiling is very rarely the only symptom that a child on the autism spectrum will exhibit. If your child hasn’t smiled by 4 months but vocalizes, makes eye contact and responds to verbal and visual cues from you, she just might not be a naturally smiley personality — at least, not at this early stage in her development. Of course, you can always discuss any concerns you may have with your pediatrician.
When do babies start smiling and laughing?
At around the same time your baby first smiles, she’ll likely also practice her first coos — putting her well on her way to another thrilling social development: baby’s first laugh. Expect to hear that joyous sound when she’s around 3 or 4 months old, although it may come a little later on too. She’ll love hearing it just as much as you do — and may even laugh “just because.” Enjoy it all!
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
View Sources
- What to Expect the First Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff.
- WhatToExpect.com, How to Promote a Baby’s Social and Emotional Development, October 2020.
- WhatToExpect.com, Early Signs of Autism, November 2017.
- WhatToExpect.com, Your Baby’s First Laugh, November 2018.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Emotional & Social Development in Babies: Birth to 3 Months, April 2021.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Movement Milestones: Birth to 3 Months, July 2020.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, When Do Babies First Smile?, April 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Milestone Moments.
- Infant Behavior and Development, Smiles in the Fetal Period, June 2012.
When do babies start smiling?
Babies can smile in the womb, even before they are born. A baby’s earliest smiles are reflex smiles, not an attempt to imitate or engage with adults.
As babies grow, they develop more social skills and control over their movements. According to some experts, most babies begin regularly smiling between 6 and 12 weeks of age. Some may smile in response to a loved one’s smile a little earlier.
This article looks at why and when babies start to smile.
Babies can smile from the moment they are born.
However, a real smile takes time to develop. A real smile is one the baby gives in response to a parent or caregiver or reflects the baby’s content state.
When a baby is between 6–12 weeks, parents and caregivers should see more consistent smiles.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that most babies give a real, non-reflexive smile when they are about 2 months old .
Babies smile for many reasons, including:
- Reflex smile: This is the smile babies develop in the womb. However, babies do it randomly, not in response to happiness or a caregiver. Therefore, experts do not consider it a real smile.
- Social smile: This is a smile in response to contact with others, such as smiling back at a caregiver or smiling to get the caregiver’s attention.
As babies grow and develop, they may also smile when they are happy, whether or not they are interacting with a caregiver.
For example, a caregiver might see an older baby smile while playing with a favorite toy.
Some guides suggest talking to a doctor if a baby does not communicate with a smile or other expressions by 3 months.
All babies develop on slightly different schedules. Individual differences, such as family interactions, cultural norms, and being born prematurely, may affect development.
Premature babies tend to reach developmental milestones later than babies born at term, so doctors often assign them a corrected age.
The corrected age reflects the age that the baby would be if they had not been born prematurely. It is normal for a baby born one month early to behave more like peers who are a month younger, and they may smile about a month later than average for babies of their age.
If a baby does not smile, parents should prioritize face-to-face interactions. Focus on smiling, playing, singing, and doing other activities the baby enjoys.
If the baby still does not begin smiling, it could signal a range of issues, including:
- Vision problems: Blind or low-vision babies may not see their parents’ smiles or respond to them.
- Hearing issues: Children with hearing impairments may not smile at the sound of coos, giggles, or a parent’s voice.
- Autism: Autistic babies may not smile at caregivers or may have other differences in social skills.
- Temperament: Some babies are shyer, less interactive, or smile less readily than others. If a baby can and does smile but smiles less than some other infants, it might just be the baby’s personality.
Reflex smiles simply mean that the muscles in the baby’s face work normally.
In the early weeks of life, babies try out a wide range of expressions. As they develop relationships with caregivers and deeper social connections, they begin to smile when they are happy or to imitate a caregiver’s smile.
Children who do not smile or who do not smile at caregivers may have a developmental issue.
Smiling can also be a reflection of culture and the environment. A 2012 study looked at smiling in infants between 6 and 12 weeks of age.
The study compared infants from families with many face-to-face interactions to those whose families had fewer face-to-face interactions.
Mothers and babies from both groups smiled at one another for similar lengths of time when the babies were 6 weeks old. By 12 weeks, babies and mothers from the community with fewer face-to-face interactions smiled and imitated one another’s smile less.
This suggests that babies take smiling cues from their family and culture and that babies who experience more frequent face-to-face interactions may smile more.
Parents should discuss their baby’s developmental milestones at each routine healthcare visit, especially if a baby has not hit age-typical milestones.
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
- loses any recently acquired skills, including smiling
- does not smile by 3 months
A baby’s first “real” smile is an important milestone that may help parents and caregivers feel more connected to their baby.
It can take time for a baby to get into the habit of smiling regularly. When babies do not smile, early interventions can ease the challenges of developmental and other issues.
If a parent or caregiver is concerned their baby may not be smiling normally, they should talk to a pediatrician.
Last medically reviewed on September 14, 2020
- Pediatrics / Children’s Health
- Parenthood
How we reviewed this article:
Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
- Calculating corrected age. (n.d.).
https://depts.washington.edu/growing/Assess/Grca.htm - Filliter, J. H., et al. (2014). Positive affect in infant siblings of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-014-9921-6 - Misirliyan, S. S., et al. (2020). Development milestones.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557518/ - Soderling, B. (1959). The first smile a developmental study.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1651-2227.1959.tb05411.x - Valente, D., et al. (2018). The role of visual experience in the production of emotional facial expressions by blind people: A review.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5902524/ - When will my baby smile? (n.d.).
https://pathways.org/when-will-my-baby-smile/ - Wörmann, V., et al. (2012).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638312000410 - Your baby at 2 months. (n.d.).
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/checklists/Checklists-with-Tips_Reader_508.pdf