When Do Babies Start Mimicking Facial Expressions?

Newborn babies are fascinated by faces, and they may perform simple facial expressions almost as soon as they are born. However, the jury is still out as to whether or not those facial gestures are truly imitations of what they see. Developing facial expressions and performing them in response to parental expressions seems to be a gradual process, so some babies may start earlier or later than others.

  1. Newborn Mimics

    • As soon as your baby is born, she can recognize the shape of a face. A study published in the 1983 journal "Child Development" found that even babies less than 1 hour old would open their mouths or stick out their tongues in response to a similar facial gesture from a parent. More recent research is conflicted as to whether this response is a true example of facial mimicking or if those gestures in a newborn are simply a general response to seeing something interesting.

    Social Smiles

    • Social smiling is one of the first widely accepted examples of a baby mimicking his parent's distinct facial expression and emotional state. Most babies begin to smile in response to a caregiver's smile at about 4 to 6 weeks of age. Between the ages of 4 and 9 weeks, there is typically a significant increase in face-to-face communication between babies and mothers, according to a 2002 research study published in "Developmental Psychology."

    Encouraging Expression

    • The best way to encourage your baby to mimic your facial expressions is to spend a lot of time being visually expressive around her. When she's a newborn, she can't see much further than 2 to 3 feet away, so keep your face close to hers when interacting. Try holding a facial expression for 30 seconds or so instead of switching expressions quickly. This gives your baby time to examine your face and process what you are doing. You can also mimic your infant when she makes a particular facial gesture to show her that social interaction is a fun game.

    Pacifier Concerns

    • A 2012 study in the journal "Basic and Applied Social Science" found that heavy pacifier use in infancy can prevent a baby boy from practicing social facial expressions, such as mimicking a parent, and can stunt emotional development. The same effect was not seen in baby girls. Also, this effect was only apparent in boys who had used a pacifier frequently during waking hours, so nighttime use didn't have the same effect. More research is needed to determine precisely how much pacifier use is problematic and why girls seem to be unaffected.

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