Babys first smile | Huggies®

The Importance of Smiling for Your Baby's Brain Development and Relationship Building

As a new parent, you may not realize how much your baby is capable of from birth. Babies can connect and interact with you right from the start, and around 1-2 months, your baby will reach a contagious milestone that will get you smiling too. But did you know that smiling is also important for your baby's brain development and relationship building?

Smiling and Your Baby's Brain Development

A smile says, "I am happy, secure, content, and connected. I want to interact with you." Smile all the time if you can – not only will it make you feel good, but it also tells your baby that they are loved, that you care about them, and that you will keep them safe. Smiling gets good hormones circulating for you and your baby – which makes you feel good and keeps you smiling a bit more. These hormones and chemicals that are released even help your baby’s brain development increase and improve.

Smiling and Your Baby's Relationship with You

A simple smile is the building block to the most important relationship for your baby – the relationship with you. Your smile reassures them. It’s hard-wired in your baby to look at you for reassurance and comfort. Each smile your baby sees sends a message of being loved, cherished, and protected. How you make them feel in those early days has a long-term impact on them, whether they can trust and love the world around them or always feel insecure, wary, sad, and stressed.

The Importance of Relationships for Your Baby's Mental Health

Relationships are crucial for your baby to be able to socialize, show emotions themselves, and form bonds and attachments, which are so crucial for healthy mental health development. In fact, research shows us that babies at an average of 36-hours-old can discriminate between three facial expressions – happy, sad, and surprised. This was observed in the face of the newborn whose facial movements in the brow, eyes, and mouth regions provide evidence for imitation of the facial expressions.

Keeping Your Baby Happy

A happy baby is a comfortable baby. Huggies® Extra Care and Pure Wipes are designed to keep your baby’s skin happy, healthy, and protected.