You smile at your baby over the changing mat. They look serious, or look past you, and someone asks whether you have had “the first smile” yet. Suddenly every little mouth movement feels like a test.
At eight weeks, a smile back is worth noticing, but its absence alone does not tell you that something is wrong. The CDC lists smiling when you talk to or smile at a baby as a two-month milestone. A milestone is something most babies do by an age, not a diagnosis or a deadline. If you are concerned, tell your health visitor or GP now; you do not need to wait and worry in silence.
What are you looking for?
Think about an ordinary awake moment, not a photo opportunity. Does your baby look at your face? Do they seem pleased when you come close, make little sounds, or sometimes smile in response to your voice or expression? These are among the social and communication behaviours on the CDC's two-month checklist. A smile that happens in sleep is lovely, but the question on the checklist is about a smile in response to you.
You do not need to repeat a “smile test” all day. Babies have quiet, tired and hungry moments. Try a few gentle face-to-face moments when your baby is awake and settled: talk softly, smile, then leave a pause for them to respond. The CDC suggests smiling, talking and responding to a baby's sounds as everyday ways to connect. Your warmth is useful even when you do not get a grin back yet.
When should you ask someone?
In the UK, the usual six-to-eight-week baby review is a good moment to say, “I haven't seen a smile back yet. What else should I look for?” If that review has passed, you can still contact your health visitor or GP. The NHS says you can raise development concerns between scheduled reviews too.
An NHS health visiting service describes social smiles beginning around six to eight weeks and invites parents to get in touch whenever they are worried. If you still have not seen a responsive smile by around three months, arrange a conversation rather than simply waiting longer; NHS Healthier Together vision guidance lists this as a reason to seek advice. Ask sooner if your baby has lost a skill they showed before, is not looking towards faces, or you have any concern about their seeing or hearing. A professional can look at your baby's whole development rather than one moment on a checklist.
If your baby was born early, tell the health visitor their due date as well as their birth date. The NHS uses corrected age when reviewing development for premature babies. Our corrected-age guide explains the idea, but an individual concern is still worth discussing.
Keep a note that helps, not a scorecard
If you want to describe what you see, write something small: “Looks at me during feeds; coos when I talk; no smile back that I've noticed.” That is more useful at an appointment than “failed the smile milestone”. Our health visitor appointment checklist can help you take your question with you.
In OBubba, Grow → Milestones includes First smile (social). You can mark that first when it happens and add a date if you know it. You do not need to mark it on time, and the app cannot assess your baby's vision, hearing or development. For a wider view, see our first-year milestones guide or the guide to milestones without comparison.
If a gentle place to keep the firsts helps, you can download OBubba. If the worry is with you today, a message to your health visitor matters more than filling in a tracker.
This is general information for UK parents, not a developmental assessment. Contact your health visitor or GP about concerns, particularly if your baby loses a skill or you are worried about their vision or hearing.
Ready to try OBubba?
Use OBubba to track feeds, sleep, naps, nappies, growth, milestones and family handovers in one calm baby tracker app.