When Do Babies Start Smiling? What to Expect by Age
Share
You've been waiting for that first little smile. Your baby makes a grin while sleeping, but when you smile at them, nothing happens. Is that normal?
Most babies begin showing a true social smile around 2 months of age. But the smiles you see during the newborn weeks may be different from the smiles that develop when your baby begins responding to your face and voice.
There's an important distinction between a newborn grin and a social smile. Understanding that difference—and knowing which other developmental signs to watch—can help you decide when to discuss your baby's progress with your pediatrician.
- Newborns can make smile-like expressions from their first days.
- True social smiles commonly emerge during the second month.
- The CDC lists smiling when someone talks or smiles at the baby as a milestone most babies reach by 2 months.
- Social smiling is part of early communication and interaction.
- Premature babies may need milestones assessed using corrected age.
- Not smiling at exactly 2 months does not establish a developmental diagnosis, but it is worth discussing with your pediatrician.
You've probably done it dozens of times already.
You lean close to your baby, smile, talk in that special voice you never knew you had, and wait.
Maybe your baby looks at you. Maybe they turn away. Maybe they stare right past your face.
And then, one afternoon, something changes.
Your baby looks directly at you—and smiles.
Was that the first real smile? Or just another newborn expression?
It's a question parents ask frequently, especially when their baby is approaching the 2-month milestone.
Here's how smiling develops, what counts as a social smile, and when a delay deserves attention.
When Do Babies Start Smiling?
Most babies begin showing a true social smile during the second month of life, around 2 months old.
The CDC includes smiling when you talk to or smile at your baby among its 2-month developmental milestones.
These milestones describe skills that at least 75% of children can demonstrate by a particular age. They are helpful checkpoints, not guarantees that every baby will reach a skill on precisely the same day.
What matters is that social interaction is developing over time.
Do Newborns Really Smile?
Yes. Newborns can make expressions that look remarkably like smiles.
During the first weeks, you might notice your baby grinning while asleep, after a feeding, or seemingly for no reason.
These early expressions are often called reflex smiles.
They are different from the more interactive social smiles that typically emerge later.
That doesn't make those early grins any less enjoyable. It simply means they are not yet the same developmental milestone pediatricians assess during the 2-month visit.
How Can You Tell If It's a Real Social Smile?
A social smile happens as part of an interaction.
You may notice your baby:
- Looking toward your face
- Watching you while you speak
- Smiling when you smile or talk
- Becoming increasingly engaged during face-to-face interaction
The important difference is the connection between your interaction and your baby's response.
A newborn grin during sleep and a smile in response to your voice may look similar, but they represent different stages of development.
Baby Smiling Milestones by Age
Newborn to 1 Month
You may see brief grins and smile-like facial movements. These expressions are not usually consistent social responses.
Your baby is beginning to attend to faces and voices while adapting to life outside the womb.
Around 2 Months
Many babies begin smiling in response to another person's smile or voice.
This is the period when the first recognizable social smiles commonly appear.
By 3 Months
Smiles often become more frequent and interactive. Your baby may combine smiling with cooing, body movements, and longer periods of looking at your face.
Around 4 Months
Social communication continues to expand. Many babies begin smiling to get attention and chuckling when a caregiver tries to make them laugh.
Why Is Social Smiling Such an Important Milestone?
Smiling is one of the earliest ways babies participate in social communication.
Before words develop, babies begin learning that faces, voices, expressions, and interactions have meaning.
A smile can become part of a back-and-forth exchange:
You smile. Your baby watches. Your baby smiles. You respond.
These simple interactions are part of the foundation for later communication.
That's why pediatricians look beyond the smile itself. We also consider how a baby looks at faces, responds to sounds, watches movement, and engages with caregivers.
You don't need special toys, expensive programs, or exercises to teach a healthy baby to smile.
- Get face-to-face. Hold your baby at a comfortable distance where they can see your face.
- Talk naturally. Use a warm, expressive voice.
- Smile at your baby. Allow time for a response.
- Choose alert moments. Interaction may be easier when your baby is comfortable and awake.
- Follow your baby's cues. If your baby looks away, allow a break.
- Use everyday moments. Feeding, changing, cuddling, and play all provide opportunities to connect.
The goal isn't to make your baby perform. It's to provide warm, responsive interaction while development unfolds.
Why Does My Baby Look Away Instead of Smiling?
Young babies can become overstimulated.
Looking away may simply mean your baby needs a short break from interaction.
Give your baby a moment and see whether they become interested again.
Occasional looking away is normal. Persistent difficulty attending to faces or interacting is worth discussing with your pediatrician.
Why Does My Newborn Smile While Sleeping?
Newborns commonly make facial expressions during sleep, including movements that resemble smiles.
These expressions are not the same developmental milestone as an awake social smile.
When pediatricians ask about smiling at the 2-month visit, they're generally interested in whether your baby is beginning to smile in response to another person.
What If My 2-Month-Old Isn't Smiling Yet?
Babies do not all develop at exactly the same pace.
However, because social smiling is a CDC 2-month milestone, it's appropriate to bring up the absence of social smiles at your baby's 2-month visit or sooner if you're concerned.
Your pediatrician will consider other aspects of development, including:
- Interest in faces
- Response to voices and sounds
- Visual attention
- Movement and muscle tone
- Feeding and growth
- Overall social engagement
A single delayed milestone does not automatically mean that something is wrong. But it is a reason to have a conversation rather than simply ignoring the concern.
What If Your Baby Was Born Prematurely?
Babies born prematurely may reach early developmental milestones according to their corrected age rather than their chronological age.
For example, a baby born 6 weeks early who is now 10 weeks old chronologically has a corrected age of about 4 weeks.
That distinction can make a meaningful difference when interpreting early milestones.
Your pediatrician can help you determine which age to use when assessing development.
Does Not Smiling at 2 Months Mean Autism?
No. The absence of one milestone does not diagnose autism.
Social smiling is one part of early social-emotional development.
Pediatricians consider the broader developmental picture, including social interaction, hearing, vision, movement, communication, and how skills change over time.
If you're concerned about your baby's development, discuss those observations with your pediatrician. An evaluation can help identify whether any additional assessment or support is appropriate.
Discuss your baby's development with your pediatrician if:
- Your baby is not beginning to smile socially around 2 months.
- Your baby rarely looks toward faces.
- Your baby does not seem to respond to voices or sounds.
- Your baby appears unusually floppy or stiff.
- Your baby uses one side of the body differently from the other.
- Feeding, growth, or other developmental skills are also concerning.
- You notice a loss of a previously acquired skill.
You don't need to wait for multiple milestones to be delayed before raising a concern.
A baby who is simply late to smile generally needs a developmental discussion, not an emergency department visit.
Seek prompt medical evaluation for sudden loss of abilities, unusual weakness, or a significant change in responsiveness.
Seek emergency care for a seizure, difficulty breathing, marked unresponsiveness, or a baby who appears seriously ill.
Call 911 for severe breathing difficulty, unresponsiveness, or another life-threatening emergency.
Your baby's first social smile is one of the earliest conversations you'll ever have together.
There are no words yet. Just your face, your voice, your baby's attention—and eventually, that wonderful little smile coming back to you.
Enjoy those moments without turning every interaction into a milestone test.
Talk, cuddle, smile, and give your baby opportunities to respond.
Milestones are checkpoints for understanding development, not competitions between babies.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do babies start smiling for real?
True social smiles commonly emerge during the second month, around 2 months old. Unlike early newborn grins, social smiles happen in response to interaction.
Can a newborn smile at 2 weeks?
Yes. Newborns can make smile-like expressions during their first weeks, although these are usually different from the later social smile.
Should a 2-month-old smile at their parents?
The CDC lists smiling when someone talks or smiles at the baby as a milestone most babies reach by 2 months. If you haven't noticed this, discuss it with your pediatrician.
Why does my baby smile only while sleeping?
Newborns may make grin-like facial expressions during sleep. These are different from awake social smiles that occur in response to another person.
How can I encourage my baby to smile?
Talk gently, smile, hold your baby where they can see your face, and allow time for interaction. You don't need to force the response.
When do babies start laughing?
Smiling generally comes first. Many babies begin chuckling around 4 months, with laughter becoming more developed over the following months.
Is it normal for a baby not to smile at 8 weeks?
Development varies, but social smiling is expected in most babies by about 2 months. Mention the absence of social smiles to your pediatrician, especially if other developmental concerns are present.
Does not smiling mean my baby has autism?
No. One developmental milestone cannot diagnose autism. Your pediatrician can assess the broader pattern of social communication and development.
Do premature babies smile later?
They may. Corrected age is often used when assessing early milestones in babies born prematurely.
The Bottom Line
Most babies begin showing a true social smile around 2 months.
Newborn grins can appear much earlier, but the social smile is different: it's part of your baby's growing ability to connect and communicate.
Enjoy the early smiles as they come. And if your baby isn't beginning to smile socially around the expected age, or you have concerns about other developmental skills, talk with your pediatrician.
References & Medical Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Milestones by 2 Months.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. When Do Babies First Smile?
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Emotional & Social Development: Birth to 3 Months.
Related Parent Resources
Medical Disclaimer
Pediatric Parent Guide provides general educational information and does not replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from your child's healthcare professional.
Development varies. If you are concerned about your baby's social interaction, hearing, vision, movement, feeding, or developmental progress—or if your baby loses a skill they previously had—contact your pediatrician.
Seek urgent or emergency medical care for severe illness, breathing difficulty, seizures, or abnormal responsiveness.
Related Parent Resources
More guidance on closely related questions parents often ask.