Infants are able, from birth, to develop an ability to sense and express a wide rangeof emotions freely and appropriately. While, newborn infants display few emotions.They are usually asleep, quiet, and mildly distressed. The first smile, so precious toparents, does not display the emotion of love. The newborn is not yet capable ofexperiencing joy, love, or hate. The first smile is in response to random firing of neuronsin the primitive areas of the brain and not in response to any outside stimulation(including hugs and kisses). While, a smile has the effect of building an attachment withthe caretaker and is thus important in infant survival. The first cry is a defensiveemotional expression, a which is considered as an instinctive signal that releasematernal behavior. A mother learns to interpret her child’s cries within days. Forexample, a cry of pain is unmistakable and impels a caretaker to respond immediately.The cry of fear does not appear until about seven months. The expression of fear is afunction of mental growth. At first physical sensations, such as sudden noises or a lossof support, are necessary. Later, the perception of heights or strangers will suffice.Finally, the dark, now filled with mental creatures, can elicit fear.
43. What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The reason infants smile or cry
(B) The importance of outside stimuli to infants
(C) The development of emotional expression in infants
(D) The effects of fears on an infant’s development