Is this a sign of a developmental delay in DS?

[AbDaRob]

My baby is 10 weeks old today, and is yet to smile.

My mum told me this could be a sign of a developmental delay, and something could be wrong with my child.

lots of friends babies smile, at around 5/6 weeks.

I Long to get something back like a smile… but nothing yet.

when he is awake I try and engage with him to make him smile, but nothing. What am I doing wrong? Is there something wrong with my child?

he was born 7 weeks premature, so his corrected age is 4 weeks + 5 days. Would this have anything to do with it?

feeling very terrible that I’m yet to make DS smile

he was born 7 weeks premature, so his corrected age is 4 weeks + 5 days. Would this have anything to do with it?

This would have everything to do with it. His developmental age is 4 weeks, not 10 so sounds completely normal to me. My DS was 9 weeks early and we always went by corrected age for milestones

@AbDaRob it's just cos baby's premature
Nothing to worry about.
My baby was 5 weeks early. She smiled when she was 12 weeks old. So yours might be later than that cos yours was more premature

Yeah, you need to match all milestones to his corrected age, not his actual age! You'll do this til he's 2.

DS didn't smile till 10/11 weeks and he was overdue! He's just quite serious.

My DD was 6 weeks prem and I don't think she smiled til about 12 weeks, I remember worrying about it. I'm sure it will be that, try not to worry.

Social smiles occur from 6 weeks. Your baby’s corrected age is only 4 weeks so it’s too early for him to be smiling yet.

Milestones are done by adjusted age as previous posters have said so he would in fact be a bit early for this.

however your mum sounds like not a very nice or helpful person at this time. Perhaps someone needs to have a word to her about not being so fucking tactless?

Our DD was a 36 weeker and same as you I was worried about so many things including smiling. Now at 5 months she does not stop smiling.

Please don't worry and stop comparing your baby to others. X

You need to count from corrected age (your due date)

I don't know if your mum was thoughtless or deliberately being cruel but what a stupid thing to say to a new mum.

My 5 week premature baby smiled at 12 weeks. Your Mum is being ridiculous!

Jeez. I'm not sure when my little girl smiled. She had bad reflux and I'd say not for three months at least!
And my son didn't walk independently til he was 18 months and he's a personal trainer now. And a friend's daughter not til she was two!
There are wide bands for these milestones and if your baby seems well in other ways I wouldn't worry. But please ask your health visitor/GP/ local baby clinic before you listen to a non expert like your mum (unless she's a paediatrician).

What an ignorant thing for your mum to say! I thought it was pretty well-known that you have to adjust all these milestones for premie babies. And I would also have thought your GP or hospital doctor should have told you that to save you lots of worry in coming months.