Baby Smiles

Like all parents, it amuses us no end to see Faith smiling incessantly at us. I decided to Google a bit more about baby smiles - after all, how do babies learn to smile?

As it turns out - there are different types of smiles. First, there are reflex smiles - smiles which are prompted by babies' internal body reflexes - such as passing wind. These smiles often occur during the first weeks' of growth. Between one and two months of age, a different sort of smile emerges to replace these reflexive smiles. Then, babies smile indiscriminately at things or people they see, touch or hear. Whereas reflex smiles are driven by events within the infant's body, these new smiles are driven by external events in the baby's immediate environment. However, they are not true “social” smiles.

Social smiling makes an appearance at around two-and-a-half months. Newborns have very poor eyesight and are unable to focus on objects more than about 25cms away. However, by two months, babies can see further and are better able to focus. This means they can see clearly the smiles of others. Now, not only will a baby respond with a happy grin to the smiles of others, she will elicit smiles from others. Needless to say, smiling cements the bonds between baby and carers, and is a vital means of sharing the joy and feelings of warmth we get from such simple human interaction.

If babies need good eyesight in order to learn about smiling, how do blind babies learn? It seems that parents are a lot more tactile with their blind babies. They nudge, bounce, and tickle their children far more often than do the parents of sighted babies. Touch serves to elicit social smiles from blind babies.

Theory aside, we're just glad that Faith is such a smiley baby - she is not only showing such warmth to us, she is also gradually showing this to people she finds familiar or who play with her. But as very biased parents, I think Faith shares a unique smile with us - I think the same way we reserve a special warmth for her in our hearts. This smile is broader, sustained, more instantaneous and it lights up her entire face - the type of smile that can melt ones' heart. It's almost a trust and bond between us and her now...when we look at her now, it's a reaction that we look forward to. And it's a reminder that this is also probably the way she feels when she looks at us - if we don't smile at her, I think she might just think that something is amiss with Daddy and Mummy. This is why, no matter how tired I am, it is this smile that reminds me that it is a privilege to share this moment with Faith.

More importantly, we've always had simple wishes for Faith - for her to be happy and healthy. Her smile, is to us, a clear signal that she is developing well emotionally and feels loved with those around her. For that, we'd always be grateful.