The baby smile In principle, it aims to intensify the interaction between the mother (father or caregivers) and the baby to maintain the proximity of both and develop attachment ties. The act of smiling has an instinctive component and another learned.
The first smiles are spontaneous and reflex, certain stimuli cause a fleeting, incomplete and automatic smile, that is, it is not a response to another person and indicates that the baby is well.
In the next stage of selective social smiles; The child begins to limit the stimuli to which he smiles. Towards the fourth week of life the stimuli that produce a smile with a social character are the auditory and the most effective human voice (especially that of mom). During the fifth week the human face begins to be the preferred reason to smile. Already by this time the smile is complete and sustained which induces the adult to respond affectionately and playfully. When the reasons to which the baby smiles are being more discriminated against, the smile is social and selective. The baby begins to distinguish the reasons that make them smile; In this phase it is observed that the caregiver usually causes more smiles than strangers.
Finally the differentiated social responses and it is the phase that lasts a lifetime. Here the boy smiles openly at a familiar figure. He is more cautious with strangers to whom he shuns or directs a smile for the purpose of sociability (learned by social norm) but keeping a distance.
It is important that you stimulate your baby to smile. Talk to him with different tones, make caresses, play with him. If your baby does not smile after the sixth and eighth week of life it is recommended that you tell your pediatrician.
