Section 3.2 Postnatal development

1.5. Emotional development at infancy

• Babies show basic emotions such as happiness, anger, sadness, and fear, mostly through their facial expressions.
• Smiling begins early by the first month, babies smile at interesting things.
• Between 6 and 10 weeks, they develop a social smile when seeing human faces.
• By 3 months, they smile at anyone, especially familiar people.
• Laughing starts around 4 months, often when being kissed or tickled.
• Fear of strangers starts around 6 months and becomes stronger by 8months this is called 8^th month anxiety.
• Crying is a way babies express their needs and show they want control.
• From birth to 6 months, babies show more happiness, especially around familiar people.
• Between 7–12 months, fear and anger increase, and they look to caregivers as a safe base.
• From 1 to 2 years, emotions like shame, pride, guilt, and embarrassment begin to appear, but only when others are present.