Expert: Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell - 2/29/2008

Question
Hello Sharon,
First off thank you for taking the time to read my question. I hope you can help me, or give me some reassurance. I am a young Mother and I am 20 so, I don't know what to expect, and this is my first. My daughter was born at 35.5 weeks due to me going into premature labor. She is now 3.5 months old and rarely smiles. She can smile, but it takes alot to make her smile. She can also be extremely fussy at times, and at other times she can be good as gold. However, I have read babies are supposed to be able to smile when they are smiled at. I'm just so concerned and i want her to be normal. What to do? Please help me if you can. Thank you.

Answer
It's worrisome being a first time mom, no matter what your age.

Begin good as gold sometimes and fussy at others is pretty typical.

While there are general guidelines for the milestones children meet in their development, each child develops at a slightly different pace.

Many babies at 3 months do smile, particularly for people they know well. Even though your little girl was born 3.5 months ago, considering her prematurity, I'm not sure it's reasonable to compare her to other full-term 3 month olds.

At the site below, the American Speech-Language Hearing Association lists some of the typical things babies do at certain ages. At the bottom of the page are suggestions for things you can do to encourage your child's development.

http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/01.htm

Here's a short video depicting babies about the age of your daughter, with details about their developmental stages.

http://www.babycenter.com/2_developmental-milestones-your-3-month-old_1499573.bc

As long as your daughter is eating well, sleeping, seems healthy and has skills similar to the babies in the video, I don't think you have much to worry about. You can also speak to a

But if you do have any concerns, please don't hesitate to speak to your doctor. You could also ask questions of your public health nurse or a speech/language therapist. If you're not sure how to contact one, you can search for one near you through this site:

http://www.asha.org/proserv/

Sharon A. Mitchell, B.A., B.Ed., M.A.
http://www.autismsite.ca