Few can resist smiling at a newborn and transmit positive emotions such as joy and interest, and even more so in the case of first-time parents. One study determined that first-time mothers looked at their newborns for only 16 hours 80% of the time and smiled at them 34% of the time.
Sometimes newborns even smile back to us, creating a magical moment for parents that many times someone tries to ruin by saying that the baby's smile cannot be real. Even specialized books tend to relegate the smiles of newborns to a reflection and no to a genuine expression of joy and happiness, To what extent is it true?
Until the second half of the twentieth century it was thought that the behavior of newborns was mostly reflexes. The scientists assumed that newborns had limited capacity to feel and express emotions and that they did not have enough social experience to interact with their caregivers.
It was even believed that newborns could not feel pain in the same way as adults, which meant that they were sometimes subjected to painful surgical procedures without anesthesia. It would not be until the 1980s when medical professionals realized that the stress caused by pain led to convulsions and complications of mortal danger.
In Babies and more When the baby's first smile arrives and why it is important to correspondData over the past 50 years has gradually accumulated that suggests that newborns not only act on reflexes and that they are competent enough to actively regulate their own moods. For example, babies can fall asleep to avoid stressful distractions or rage and cry if they need stimulation and more interaction. They can also imitate smiles with only 36 hours of life and can even learn from previous experiences already during the first day of life.
The science behind smiles
However, when it comes to feelings like happiness and joy, we keep asking ourselves to what extent newborns can be competent beings at the social level. Until the first years of the 21st century, it was reported that newborns only responded in response to muscle spasms, penile erections, bowel or bladder movements or for no particular reason. Most studies and specialized books (even well into the 21st century) still suggest that the first "social smile" It does not occur until after the second month of life.
And there was data to prove it. In 1872 Charles Darwin believed that emotional expressions were universal and innate, documenting the first real smiles of his own son when he had 45 days of life. In my own investigation we have replicated these observations and for this we ask 957 parents to observe and record the smiles of their children. According to your answers, The first "social smiles" of their babies occurred on average just after four weeks.
In Babies and moreThe angelic smile: reflection of the babyWhen researchers began observing newborns, most of their initial results did not differ much from parents' reports. A 1959 study, where "social smiles" were defined as smiles where eye contact is sought before smiling, concluded that none of the 400 babies in the study had smiled during the first week of life. Only 11% showed a social smile at two weeks of birth and about 60% had smiled in this way at three weeks of life, while almost everyone had already done so during the first month.
There are researchers who are still unable to register smiles in the early days and many of the smiles occur during sleep (so they are not related to the social world). In fact, even fetuses seen in the womb with 4D ultrasound technology smile since at least the 23rd week of pregnancy. But other studies show that newborns smile on special occasions and at most once every four minutes in the case of day-old babies. The question now is what those smiles mean.
Interpreting the data
There have long been signs that the smiles of newborns could indicate positive emotions to some extent. It has been noted that smiles occur during the first days of life in response to caresses on the cheek or belly. Newborns also smile in response to sweet flavors and certain aromas. These findings were published decades ago when smiles were considered pure innate reflexes, but scientists in their day did not interpret them as emotional in part because these types of smiles seemed different from social smiles.
Babé smiling at a researcher in the laboratory. Emese Nagy, Author provided
It was thought that the smiles of newborns only used the muscles of the mouth region, but when scientists microanalyzed facial movements frame by frame through a special code system, smiles from day one were more common when They were accompanied by movements of the cheeks and eyes than without them.
Since then there are more and more studies that suggest that newborns smile when they are awake and that such smiles resemble social smiles. In addition, when newborns are in a state of interaction and awake they smile twice as compared to when they sleep, which shows that social factors could be involved. Not only that, but babies often start by moving their cheeks and eyebrows before smiling as if they focus their attention on the face of the person who is caring for them. Hence it is completely possible that these newborns smile consciously.
Babies learn early about the power of smiles. Although your caregivers often smile at newborns, this behavior will depend on the condition of the baby (they are less likely to smile when the baby is crying). As a result, babies quickly learn the ability to regulate their parents' behavior.
If a baby maintains eye contact, blinks and smiles, the mother or father will probably return the smile, making the smile worthwhile. In Babies and more Baby's first smileNot surprisingly, studies in mothers show that they are greatly affected by the smiles of their babies, even at the neurophysiological level. One study measured brain activity in mothers using RMFI scanners and when mothers saw their own baby smile, activity was shown in areas of the brain involved in the processing of emotions (including the cerebral tonsil and the limbic system). The dopaminergic areas of the brain, known as the brain's reward system, also showed a lot of activity.
Unfortunately, studies on behavior in newborns are still very scarce and require complex analyzes to interpret the meanings of a given behavior. Even if more studies are needed, it seems plausible that these premature smiles have a social component. For many of us who work in this field, at least it is very clear that these smiles are definitely more than just a reflection.
Author: Emese Nagy, researcher and doctor. Psychologist specializing in newborns.
This article has originally been published in The Conversation. You can read the original article here.
Translated by Silvestre Urbón
