10 week old doesn't smile much

My son is 10 weeks old and he doesn't smile very much.  I am always talking to him and smiling at him and once in a while I get some smiles out of him but not often.  He also does not respond when someone is talking to him unless he is looking directly at them.  When my husband comes home from work he will talk to him and say his name and gets no response from him.  Is that normal at this age?  He was born three weeks early so I don't know if that has anything to do with it?  Please help!  Thanks!

[Tina22]

I wouldn't worry. My first child & now my 3rd are very reserved. My baby is nearly 6 months old & he just full out laughed this week!! He is completely normal, just very reserved! My oldest daughter was like that as a baby & still is at age 5. She is shy & quiet in situations until she feels comfortable. Even at school she is still very very quiet and reserved. They are both like their daddy and to a certain extent their mommy too. We are the kind of people who will go into a room and will just kind of wait and watch until we feel comfortable enough to interact.

Don't worry, its probably just his personality!

[1nana]

It wouldn't hurt to get his hearing checked out.

[JoyRenee]

Because he was 3 weeks early, you have to treat him as though he's actually 7 weeks (developmentally speaking). He will catch up! Smiling happens for different babies. You are getting smiles out of him, but he's not smiling spontaneously, right? That's okay! He's still young!!!

As for not responding to voices or noises, it could be his hearing. He should've had a hearing test in the hospital. But you may request to get his hearing checked again. A test you could at home is to lay him down in a safe place (crib, blanket on the floor, playpen). Go to the kitchen and get a pot and spoon.

Then stand in the doorway to the room, unseen, and lightly tap the pot. Keep increasing the levels of sound and see when he turns to find it. It still may be early for him to look for it. Your voice is probably more successful in getting him to turn than a pot.

You could also try one LOUD band and see if he startles (I know, that sounds REALLY mean, but if he startles, you at least know he can hear and you can obviously go pick him up). Gosh, I don't want people to get mad about me saying that, but that's honestly something I'd probably do. That is how they do the hearing tests in the hospital at birth (they make a loud noise to see if baby startles).