# When did your baby first smile back?



## moiralilith (May 27, 2010)

I'm very concerned. My baby just turned 9 weeks and has yet to smile back at me. There is eye contact for the most part. He can follow moving objects such as his mobile or when I move a small flashlight over his head. He can lift his head 45 degrees when doing tummy time. He does get startled at loud noises. Therefore, no issues with eyes or ears. Can the lack of smiles mean autism?

When did your baby first smile back?


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## Nicole730 (Feb 27, 2009)

DD started smiling at 4 weeks. I've heard there is a wide range of normal.


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## Knitting Mama (Jan 24, 2010)

Cecilia was 3 weeks old, but like the PP, I have heard there is a very wide range!


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## Asiago (Jul 1, 2009)

Four weeks here also, but from what I understand that is very early.


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## rhiOrion (Feb 17, 2009)

7 and change weeks here and just starting to get them in the past couple of days


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## maptome (Feb 13, 2010)

Oh, poor mama. Don't worry about autism bc he doesn't smile. Babies develop how they develop. Their gross motor, fine motor, and social development are not always in sync.


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## Caittune (Aug 2, 2006)

i posted a similar question about 3 months ago and literally within days my dd started smiling like crazy. Don't worry you will soon have a super smiley little one!


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## Norasmomma (Feb 26, 2008)

My DD always smiled(not gas, she smiled), but she was late. DS was 2wks, he smiled at me once in awhile, but at about 4 weeks it was very often.

There is a wide range of normal on this just like everything else.


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## Pippi L. (Jan 25, 2008)

I'm pretty sure my daughter was at least 8 weeks before we got a real social smile. Before that she'd grimace or have gas and everyone would think she was smiling, but I really doubted it.

Now, at 2.5, she's one of the happiest, smiliest kids I know. Several people gave her the nickname "Happy Baby" independently of each other when she was smaller. One of her first words, I kid you not, was "happy."

So I wouldn't worry too much. Give it a few weeks and I'm sure you'll have a smiling baby.

Just one last thought -- when was your baby born? My daughter was born right at 37 weeks and so I expected her to do some things a bit later especially early on. If your baby was born before 40 weeks it can be even longer for those first few milestones. Even then, though, there's no hard and fast rule. They're all so different.


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## Gimme Pineapple (Sep 19, 2009)

It took our guy a LONG time. I referred to it as "deferred smile payment." When he would finally smile, it would make my new mom stress melt away. I finally got a smile around 10 weeks.


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## momto4plus4 (Mar 18, 2010)

My son just started smiling at 7 weeks. I can't remember when my others smiled but I'm almost certain my first daughter was later. She watched EVERYTHING but did not interact as early. Then, all the sudden she just blossomed. It's like she had to take everything in for forever and then boom, she was ready to let it out! She always had a very "serious" look for the first year.


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## lilmamabrown (Aug 24, 2009)

my dd1 was born at 35 wks and didn't start smiling until she was 12 wks
my dd2 was born at 41 wks and could smile within the first week. she's doing everything faster so far.

nak


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## odoole (Nov 19, 2009)

Yeah, I'd say it's way too early to think about autism.

My DS was born at 34 weeks, so some of the social stuff came a bit later for him.

I don't think he did any social smiling until around 10-12 weeks old. For a few weeks before that, he would smile in his sleep. That tends to be a precursor to social smiling.

One thing he did do, though, was stick out his tongue when you stuck out your tongue. He started doing that maybe around 6-7 weeks? In fact we used to stick out our tongues at him so much, I think he "thought" that was how you greeted people in lieu of a smile.

Sorry, my memory is a bit fuzz. But basically, try the tongue thing. That is another form of social interaction that babies do at that age.

And like others have mentioned, he has more than made up for his late smiles with TONS of smiles and giggles for us ever since then.


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## moiralilith (May 27, 2010)

Thank you for all your replies. My baby was born full term at 39 weeks 5 days.
He's now 9 weeks 3 days. We think he gave us a few smiles for the first time last night, but this morning when he woke up, and I walked into his room no smiles. He's quite the calm baby,

My pregnancy was going great. Labour however did not. My baby's heart rate dropped suddenly and I was immediately taken into the O.R. for an emergency C-section. Doctors indicated that he was oxygen deprived. However, baby came out crying and completely normal. High APGAR score etc.

He continued to be a normal baby. However, I am very concerned about him now that he is 9 weeks and not smiling and not mimicing us. I can;t get him to do the tongue thing. Not sure if the oxygen deprivation at birth is now affecting his development. Any views on this?


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## lalemma (Apr 21, 2009)

I don't think my baby has ever done the tongue thing. I am totally suspicious of baby books that put things in these stern, absolute terms - "All babies will mimic you if you push your tongue out, and they do this from birth! Yes, every single baby in the world. Yep."

My baby's first social smiles happened at about 8 weeks.He did "smile" in his sleep from birth, but the first time he looked at us and smiled and then watched our response was around two months. BUT, I think it's important to point out here that when new parents get very excited about the first social smiles, they're not seeing a social smile in the sense that adults exchange them. I would not expect a baby to see you walk into the room and burst out a grin this early. At two months or so, a social smile is mostly an experiment. "What happens when I do this? The big human face does that. Interesting... What happens if I smile at this bookcase? Nothing. Hmmm...."

All of that said, if you're worried about the smile and the tongue mimic thing, ask your pediatrician! It's not worth toughing it out when a quick conversation could put your mind at ease. However, I think there's a wide range of normal, and I bet your baby is right where he should be.


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## mrs.t (May 10, 2010)

Please don't worry about autism! I work with autistic children and it is way to early to be worrying about it! My DS just started giving me "real" smiles and they are very infrequent. He is 7 and 1/2 weeks. He was looking elsewhere and when I came into his visual field he broke out into a huge grin...very cute! He has yet to smile around my DH. I think with imitation babies will imitate what they find interesting. My DS imitates chewing...I am usually holding him during meals and he watches me chew. I couldn't get him to do the tongue thing, though. Like pp have said, there is a wide range of normal. It's easy to make yourself crazy worrying!


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## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

DS1 - 6 weeks
DS2 - 3 weeks!


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## beep (Aug 18, 2009)

My DS smiled for the first time sometime around 10 weeks, but it wasn't until probably a month after that that he smiled really regularly and reliably. Now at 5.5 months, he smiles and laughs at appropriate times and is otherwise on track... but he is still a fairly reserved and solemn baby, in what seems to us and his doctor like a normal kind of way.


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## Abraisme (Mar 8, 2009)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Nicole730* 
DD started smiling at 4 weeks. I've heard there is a wide range of normal.


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## Plarka (Jul 1, 2008)

My baby never does the tongue thing so I got tired of trying and gave up!


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## moiralilith (May 27, 2010)

Thanks for the responsing.

My baby is now showing some smiles. I had discussed it with my dr. who indicated it wasn't a red flag for anything until 4 months. There's definitely a wide range of normal. It still worries me. Thing I'm going to be worried until he's 18.


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