Why should you be concerned about a four-month-old infant who is not smiling or responding to an adult’s smile?

Introduction
The infant is quite social by nature and begins to interact through reciprocal exchanges with parents, siblings, and caregivers in ways that foster an emotional bond and learning experiences across all developmental domains.  What does it mean when a baby doesn’t smile back at you?
The Assignment
After reading our course material, chapter 4 (pages 68-92), discuss the following:
Why should you be concerned about a four-month-old infant who is not smiling or responding to an adult’s smile?  What aspects of the infant’s development should be evaluated?
After doing the DB reply to two other ppl
first person reply:As an educator you should be concerned about a 4 month old infant not smiling or responding to an adult’s smile because it shows signs of delay in milestones.Page 87 states that “An inability to maintain social attention or eye contact may be an early indicator of autism spectrum disorder.” If an infant isn’t improving in motor skills professional help needs to be involved. For each age range birth and up milestones are set that each infant should begin doing, also known as fine motor skills. It’s important to seek help as early as possible so that the child can get professional help and still be successful later in life. For example some children who have autism usually don’t smile back as a reaction to being smiled at. Seeking help and getting diagnosis early helps, also known as early intervention.
Second Person:Social-Emotional Development for an infant is where the child starts responding with smiles to friendly voices and smiles.  At this stage an infant can also “recognize and reach out to familiar faces and objects, such as father or bottle; reacts by waving arms and squealing with excitement” (Allen, Marotz Pg. 83).  With each milestone and growth pattern achieved in development, it is easier for caregivers and healthcare providers to notice when something is not typical in development.  An infant that doesn’t smile or respond to an adult smile would be a cause for concern because it can be an indicator that the infant may be on the autism spectrum. It is best to begin consulting with your child’s pediatrician as a parent.  If your child is on the spectrum then there will be more developmental delays that you may not be aware of. Receiving an early diagnosis allows you to learn more about Autism and ways to create a better way of living for the child by  receiving assistance for specialists in various fields in their social-emotional development.