Tickling babies may seem fun, but their laughter is often just a reflex, not true enjoyment. It can cause stress, affect their breathing and heart rate, and confuse their brain between fun and panic.

FACT:

Tickling babies, especially in the first few months, can be stressful rather than enjoyable. Infants are not yet able to understand the source or intention of touch, and signs such as crying, wincing, or a faster heart rate indicate discomfort. Experts recommend gentle interaction and bonding without tickling as safer ways to engage with them.

You think babies are irresistibly cute and can’t help but tickle them? It might feel like harmless fun, but it is time to pause and rethink—because what seems playful can actually be stressful for little ones.

In a viral Instagram reel, Dr Manan Vora, an orthopaedic surgeon, demonstrates tickling a baby while warning, “Stop tickling babies. It might look cute, but it’s not always fun for them.”

Then he explains that while babies might giggle, it’s often just a reflex, not a sign of genuine enjoyment. “When you tickle a baby or a small child, they may laugh, but that laughter isn’t always happiness,” he says. “Their breathing can stop momentarily, their heart rate can spike, muscles tense up, and stress hormones increase. Their brain can get confused between fun and panic. So even if they’re laughing, it doesn’t always mean they’re okay.”

He adds, “Always be gentle and stop immediately if they show any signs of discomfort.”  The reel has struck a chord online, garnering 44 lakh views, raising awareness about a seemingly innocent act that may have hidden consequences.

So, can tickling babies actually be harmful?

Research shows that tickling babies isn’t always the playful experience adults imagine. According to a 2015 study in the Cell Press journal Current Biology, infants in their first four months of life can feel touch and wiggle their feet or hands, but they don’t yet connect the sensation to the person doing the tickling.

The researchers discovered this by tickling the crossed and uncrossed feet of four- and six-month-old infants using mechanically delivered vibrations. The younger four-month-old infants moved the foot that was tickled 70 per cent of the time, regardless of whether their feet were crossed or uncrossed. In contrast, six-month-olds correctly identified the tickled foot only about 50 per cent of the time when their feet were crossed—no better than chance. These findings suggest that very young infants perceive touch differently and are not fully aware of its source.

A separate 2024 study explored tickling in children with autistic traits. The research noted, “Although play is an essential occupation for children, parents of children with autistic traits tend to struggle with play-based interpersonal interaction with them. Tickling play appears to be one of the most interpersonal forms of play because nobody can tickle themselves.” The study found that children with higher autistic traits were less likely to approach tickling with positive emotion and more likely to show no response at all, indicating that tactile sensitivity and social engagement influence how children experience tickling.

Yet, tickling itself remains a curious and poorly understood behaviour. Known as gargalesis, tickling is one of the most trivial yet enigmatic human responses. Scientists still don’t fully understand why some touches feel more ticklish than others, why some people are highly sensitive while others barely respond, or why we only laugh at other people’s tickles and not our own. It is believed to be one of the earliest triggers for laughter in life, though whether this laughter reflects genuine enjoyment is unclear.

As a reminder, experimentation on tickling is scarce despite centuries of philosophical interest. “Socrates, Aristotle, Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, and Darwin theorised about tickling, but after two millennia of intense philosophical interest, experimentation remains scarce,” note researchers.

What is clear, however, is that tickling is more complex than mere fun—it involves sensory processing, social interaction, and reflexive responses that vary widely across age, developmental stage, and individual sensitivity.

What experts say? 

Dr Amit Gupta, Senior Neonatologist and Paediatrician at Motherhood Hospitals, Noida, explains that while tickling babies may seem fun, it can actually “be stressful rather than enjoyable for them. He notes that a newborn’s sensory, motor, and nervous systems are still developing, making it difficult for infants to understand whether a touch is playful or uncomfortable.”

He says, “It takes approximately four to six months, maybe a little longer, for tickling to be perceived as playful. Until then, babies are not able to figure out whether the touch is meant for tickling or something else.” He adds that subtle signs such as “crying, facial wincing, increased heart rate, or faster breathing” indicate discomfort.

Dr Gupta advises, “If you are tickling, make sure your child is playful and not showing these signs. A little gentle touch is okay, but tickling that causes stress should be avoided as much as possible.” He emphasises that even when babies appear to laugh, it is not always clear whether they are genuinely enjoying the tickling.

He recommends alternative ways to interact and bond with infants. “Make good eye-to-eye contact, practice kangaroo mother care, engage in skin-to-skin contact, sing songs, play peekaboo, or simply spend time together as a family talking. Avoid screen time—it is very important. Spending time with your child doesn’t mean being in front of a screen; real interaction matters.”