developmental features and separation
Last reviewed 01/2018
To use smiling as a measure of an infant's social functioning, infants of less than 6 weeks have a reflex smile. At greater than 6 weeks they unselectively smile to any face, developing more selection at 3 - 4 months, where smiling is elicited by more familiar persons. From 6 - 7 months there is differential social responsiveness in smiling.
Speech, fear, attatchments and other parameters can also be used as measures of social functioning.
Thus at about 6 to 7 months, the child begins to discriminate socially, and from this time separation will have consequences.