Tell Between Baby Gas and Smiles - Note the baby's age. Most babies start smiling between 4 and 8 weeks of age. Before that, it is most likely a gas smile, and not a social smile.
Watch to see if there is a trigger. A social smile is usually due to the actions of a parent or someone else the baby is familiar with, whereas a gas smile is usually not accompanied by a trigger. The social smile can be in response to a noise or to something in her sight.
Tell Between Baby Gas and Smiles
See if her cheeks rise. One of the main differences between a social smile and a gas smile is whether the cheeks rise with the smile. With a gas smile, the cheeks stay lowered, but the social smile lifts the cheeks. With the cheeks lifted, sometimes the eyes will appear squinted, yet another clue the smile is a social one.
Notice if the baby's mouth opens. An open-mouthed smile is a sure sign of a social smile.
Understand that the baby's smiles may be infrequent at first. While the baby is still getting the hang of social smiles, they may be few and far between. But soon enough, the baby will be smiling more and more.
One of the first milestones a baby reaches is also one of the most exciting--the social smile. From the time a baby is born, he may smile slightly when laying still, otherwise known as a gas smile. Telling the difference between the two is fairly easy, if the baby and her environment are observed when the smile takes place. Read on to learn how to tell between baby gas and smiles. - by eHow
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