2022-04-14

The smile of newborns: an emotion to be fully experienced.

newborn smile

The smile of newborns can put everyone in a good mood and definitely one of the most exciting moments for parents. It seems that at the exact moment when his tender little mouth forms the curve the heart of every parent explodes with happiness.
Already from the first weeks after birth, newborns, especially during their naps, smile. The newborn smile occurs from birth until one month of age and shows no emotional content.

Many people wonder why, but there is no official explanation, even if there are two hypotheses: it may be an involuntary muscular stimulus or an evolutionary survival instinct in which the newborn baby arouses "tenderness" and creates in the soul of those who watch him the desire for love and protection.

The smile of the first few weeks is therefore an involuntary smile, nothing to do with the one that will be directed voluntarily between 6 and 8 weeks of life.


What happens next is simply a reflection of what the newborn has seen in its first weeks of life. Studies have shown that mothers smile a lot at their newborns, they who are sponges, quickly assimilate the images they see and over time learn to reflexively reproduce them. Smiles become a way for newborns to connect and express their emotions.


The social smile of the newborn


After the first month of life, newborns finally begin to smile voluntarily and will do so either with an open mouth or by lifting their cheek (Duchenne smiles).

It will be very easy to recognize the voluntary smile: the social smile of the newborn will occur in comparison to a stimulus (sight, sound, voice or contact) and will have a longer duration.

Usually mom, dad, sisters or brothers will be the authors of the smiles, with voices, attention, games or cuddles.


In the first month of life, infants begin to develop the ability to maintain eye contact with another person in addition to improving the focus of their eyesight and develop "mirror neurons", those neurons that are activated to "imitate" what we see others do and make it intrinsic to our being. In the specific case of the smile, the newborn understands that that gesture is linked to certain emotions and will then become involuntary whenever he or she finds himself or herself feeling those emotions.


We will recognize the true smile because the newborn will not only smile with his mouth but also with his eyes and his whole face. The amount of smiles of newborns will certainly vary depending on the environment and the people around him, but a good value is also given by the character of the child. Usually baby boys tend to smile more than baby girls and, again because of mirror neurons, a child who lives in a jovial and happy environment will be more prone to serenity and smiles. Obviously there are exceptions that confirm the rule and everything is very relative to the character of the child.


If the newborn never smiles, should we be worried?


As we have just mentioned, in some way the character of newborns from the beginning can influence their way of being and their way of approaching the world; for this reason, if the newborn does not smile often or tends to be late, it is not yet the case to be alarmed; as we all know, every child has its own times, its rhythms and its natural inclinations. What we can do is try to encourage the baby to laugh and check that he keeps his gaze. The moment the child smiles, it will be spontaneous for us to smile in turn. This response of ours will unconsciously increase his self-esteem, sending the message that what he does and what he feels can influence his surroundings.

If, after three months of age, the newborn continues never to smile and tends to avoid looking at you, it is a good idea to contact the pediatrician and talk to him.

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