A baby’s smile is a magical moment that all parents look forward to, but you’ll have to wait about four or five months to see your baby laugh properly. Laughter, like tears, is one of our primary forms of communication.

The smile of an infant goes through different stages of evolution, from the first fleeting smile to the moment when he begins to laugh out loud. In the first weeks of life, babies’ smiles are a reflex action. They are not an arbitrary reaction to anything and occur mainly during sleep. Only after about a month can their smiles in response to external stimuli be considered a genuine social expression.

They usually smile when they see a familiar face, as well as when they see someone they don’t know. From four to five months, they go from smiling to laughter, which is manifested by noises and gurgling. They begin to find the jokes of people close to them amusing, such as being thrown in the air, tickled, or playing hide and seek. Sometimes they laugh for no apparent reason at everyday things that seem funny to them.