Newborn Non-Verbal Cue

Engagement

These are signals that the baby is in the awake and active state and ready to play, feed, and interact. Cues include:

• Wide-open eyes and raised eyebrows
• Opening mouth, licking lips, and thrusting tongue
• Pink coloring and focused expression
• Turning toward you, snuggling in, or reaching for you
• Cycling legs or happy wiggling
• Hands to face or reaching for things

Disengagement

These signs say that the baby is overwhelmed and needs a break or a change. Crying is the most obvious way that babies can show stress, but subtler cues include:

• Eyes glazed over or gaze aversion (breaking eye contact and/or looking away)
• Arching back or going limp
• Turning or pushing away
• Furrowing brows
• Pressing lips together, pouting, grimacing, or looking “worried”
• Splaying fingers or pushing spread fingers towards you
• Hiccupping, yawning, sneezing, spitting up, coughing
• Drowsing or withdrawing into sleep