DD (nearly 14 months) doesn't smile - advice appreciated

[Bluebirdonmyshoulder]

This is really beginning to worry me.

To clarify, bluechick does smile at noises she finds funny, tickling and raspberries on her belly / neck etc. But she doesn't routinely smile at us in response to us smiling at her.

She has done in the past (and then had issues for a few months which stopped it) and very very occasionally she smiles at us but i can't remember the last time and it's so rare to be very noteworthy.

Have mentioned it to a couple of profs, including her portage teacher. No-one is worried except me and DH. Explanations vary from this being the result of a visual impairment she had (although we think her sight is good now) in that she has to learn to smile at things she sees, to bafflement.

I did mention my concern that it's an early sign of autism but she has no other signs.

Really appreciate any thoughts / advice / pearls of wisdom.

Thanks

I've heard that a lot of HIE babies take many months to smile consistantly. Not sure if this applies to bluechick though. Its difficult to really assess visual ability in young toddlers, but its encouraging to hear she reacts to tickling etc.

sorry not to be more helpful.

You just described my DS2... he didn't smile at all til he was 12m and then mostly in response to physical stimulation..blowing, being swung about. He didn't make eye contact and kid of looked past us or at our hairlines.

He was also floppy.
They said he had a maturational delay.. eyes could see (tho he needed glasses at 6 months!) but the brain wasn't processing it. I was VERY worried and hated seeing everyone else's babies smiling away when mine didn't.

Good news... he got there in the end and by the age of two had vastly better eye contact, smilieness and was generally a much more sociable baby.

He does have disabilities.. and yes he has ASD, but he is smiley affectionate and sociable ..if a bit odd

What does HIE stand for?

Thanks both of you.

Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy - neurological impairment as a result of low oxygen at birth.

Does Bluechick have low tone? Ds's low tone means that his face often looks droopy and tired, his mouth is always open and tongue slightly out. He took longer to smile than other babies, but smiles and chuckles a lot now at very slapstick stuff and being swung, tickled, squooshed and bounced. He doesn't smile readily at other people, and often hides his face from them. When he smiles at you it is like the sun bursting out from behind a cloud.