Baby Not Laughing
The short answer
Most babies laugh for the first time between 3 and 4 months, but some perfectly healthy babies don't laugh until 5-6 months. If your baby is smiling socially, making eye contact, and showing joy through facial expressions and body language, they may simply express happiness differently - not every baby is a big laugher.
By Age
What to expect by age
Laughter isn't expected yet during the first 3 months. Your baby is focused on social smiling (which usually appears around 6-8 weeks), cooing, and learning to engage with faces. These social skills are the foundation for laughter. Some babies may chuckle by the end of this period, but most haven't reached that stage.
This is the typical window for first laughs. Laughter often emerges in response to physical play - gentle bouncing, tickling, or silly sounds. Some babies are more reserved and may grin broadly without laughing out loud. What's most important is that your baby shows social engagement and pleasure in your interactions, not necessarily an audible laugh.
Most babies are laughing by this age, though some laugh rarely. If your baby smiles, coos, and is socially engaged but simply doesn't laugh much, this may just be their temperament. However, if your baby doesn't smile, doesn't seem to enjoy social interaction, or is very passive, it's worth discussing with your pediatrician.
By this age, most babies laugh during play and social games like peekaboo. A baby who has never laughed by 7-8 months and also shows limited social smiling or engagement should be evaluated. However, a baby who laughs rarely but is otherwise happy, interactive, and meeting other milestones may simply have a more serious temperament.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your baby is under 4 months and smiling socially - laughter typically comes after social smiling is well established.
- Your baby smiles and shows excitement through kicking, arm-waving, and facial expressions but just doesn't laugh out loud much - some babies express joy more quietly.
- Your baby laughs in some situations (like during physical play) but not in others - this is normal selectiveness.
- Your baby was a bit late to social smile but is now smiling regularly - laughter often follows a few weeks after consistent smiling.
- Your baby is over 6 months and has never laughed or chuckled, even briefly.
- Your baby rarely smiles and doesn't seem to enjoy social interaction or face-to-face play.
- Your baby doesn't respond emotionally to your voice, singing, or playful sounds.
- Your baby seems unusually passive or withdrawn - they don't reach for you or show excitement when you approach.
- Your baby was laughing and smiling and has stopped - any regression in social-emotional responses warrants prompt evaluation.
- Your baby over 6 months shows no social smiling, no laughter, no eye contact, and no interest in people - this cluster of concerns should be evaluated promptly.
Sources
Related Resources
Related Speech Concerns
My Baby Is Losing Words or Skills
If your child was consistently using words and has truly stopped, this is something to act on promptly. Regression - the genuine loss of skills a child previously had - is different from a normal plateau or a toddler being too busy to talk, and it always warrants a conversation with your pediatrician sooner rather than later.
Baby Not Babbling
Babbling with consonant sounds like "ba," "da," and "ma" typically begins between 6 and 9 months and is an important building block for speech. Babies develop at different rates, but if your baby is not making any consonant sounds by 9 months, a hearing check is a good first step.
Baby Not Laughing at Peek-a-Boo
Most babies start showing delight during peek-a-boo between 6 and 9 months, when they develop "object permanence" - the understanding that things still exist when hidden. If your baby isn't laughing at peek-a-boo yet, consider their age and overall social engagement. Some babies prefer other games, and some show enjoyment through smiles or excited movements rather than laughter. What matters most is whether your baby is socially engaged with you overall.
Baby Not Making Vowel Sounds
Most babies begin making vowel sounds - those lovely "oooh," "aaah," and "eee" sounds - around 2 to 3 months of age. This early cooing is one of the first steps in language development. Some babies are naturally quieter than others, but if your baby isn't making any vowel sounds by 4 months, it's worth checking in with your pediatrician to make sure hearing and development are on track.
Baby Not Responding to Own Name Consistently
Most babies start recognizing and responding to their own name between 5 and 7 months, though consistent response may take until 9 months. It's common for babies to sometimes ignore their name when they're focused on something interesting - this is normal. However, if your baby rarely or never turns when you say their name by 9 months, it's worth discussing with your pediatrician to check hearing and development.
Baby Not Turning to Sounds
Babies typically begin turning toward sounds around 4 to 6 months of age. If your baby isn't consistently looking toward voices or noises by 6 months, it's worth having their hearing checked. In many cases, something as simple as fluid in the ears can temporarily affect hearing, and early identification leads to the best outcomes.