Babies Feel Shame Early

A review by Milica Nikolic and Robert Hepach argues that infants (birth to two years) display micro‑movements in posture, gaze and facial micro‑expressions consistent with self‑conscious emotions such as shame and pride. The claim is supported by developmental‑psychology observations and framed against theories of constructed emotion, suggesting these social emotions may not require years of language and norm internalization to appear. — If true, it revises when we treat children as moral and social agents, affecting parenting norms, pediatric practice, early education, and legal/ethical policies about responsibility and care.