6 month old never laughs

[Justanewmum]

My 6 month old is pretty expressionless, in fact people often remark how serious he is and that he seldom smiles and never laughs. I know babies all develop at different paces however it’s starting to worry me that he might be developmentally delayed.

Being serious isn't necessarily a sign of anything unusual. In fact if you work you probably work with one or two people who never crack a smile from one day to the next

Apart from being serious, is there anything else that you're worried about?

Hi, thanks for your reply. He doesn’t really babble either, just a repetitive moaning sound. His vocalisations are really quite limited but not sure if this is normal at 6 months too.

I had the same worries, but they're now babbling and smiling/laughing a lot more at 9 months. Babbling can literally start overnight! Little one is still very serious out and about, more of an observer / watcher! I like to think it's a sign of intelligence ;)

If you're worried about babbling there's a quick SLT progress checker here

That’s reassuring, thank you ☺️. It does feel like he’s perhaps just a little more serious, reserved and observant.

That’s great, thanks for sharing

Hey, I just wanted to ask how is your LO doing now 6 months on? My 4 month old is very similar and rarely smiles. Getting quite worried!

Hi there, my little one started smiling shortly after but didn’t laugh until around 8 months. He’s always smiling and laughing now but still very serious with strangers. He rarely smiles back to anyone but immediate family. I’m now noticing other things that have become more pronounced with time, for example avoiding/limited eye contact and lack of joint attention. I’ve discussed these concerns with my healthcare visitor but it’s still too early to consider anything like autism. Im sure your little one will be smiling soon and it’s nothing to be worry about- it’s definitely worth the wait x

Thanks for replying. Glad your LO smiles more now and that these other concerns dissolve with time.

I have also sent you a private message. Hope that’s ok! I’m so so worried and would be nice to exchange notes if possible x

How is ur LO right now? My baby ab the same which makes me worried.

@Justanewmum @Justanewmum84 hi. May I ask how is your LO now?

Hi there, he’s 2 years old now and a very happy, fun loving little boy. He started nursery a few months back and seems to have adjusted well but I’m still concerned about ASD (awaiting referral for an assessment, 7 years waiting list in my area unfortunately).

I still see some indicators in respect of the limited eye contact, not always responding to facial cues etc (although much less so than before). He’s VERY sensory seeking and tip toe walks after starting flat footed. He also does unusual finger posturing and lots of stimming. The Dr and health visitor didn’t seem so concerned but I’m going to push for the referral.