BABY FACTS

• The term “infant” is from the Latin infans, meaning “unable to speak” and typically refers to the ages from 1-12 months. A “newborn” usually refers to an infant in the first 28 days of life.

• The word “baby” may come from a baby’s babbling, as in “ba-ba-ba-ba.”

• Newborns are more likely to turn their heads to the right than to the left.

• Adults have 206 bones. When babies are born, they have 300. Their bones fuse as they grow, resulting in fewer bones as adults.

• A newborn urinates about every 20 minutes and then roughly every hour at 6 months.

• Newborns can scream and holler for what they want or need, but they can’t technically cry. Tears can’t actually be created or released until about three weeks in.

• A baby can recognize the smell and voice of its mother at birth. It takes a few weeks before a baby can see the difference between its mother and other adults.

• At birth, babies have no kneecaps. Kneecaps do not develop completely until after six months.

• Babies typically prefer a female voice over a male voice, which may explain why people raise the pitch of their voice when talking to babies, otherwise known as “motherese.”