Most of us know that babies undergo a significant amount of growth during the first year of life. When you stop to think about it, it is astounding how the body’s systems change, and the wonders of modern science and medicine have taught us a lot about the development from baby to child. Read on to learn some of our favorite interesting baby facts from the first year of life.
Who’s there?
Did you know that for the first three months, your baby can only see about nine inches away from theirs? Don’t worry, that is still plenty of distance to be able to see your face when you are nursing or holding the baby. It is also an adequate range for them to focus on their hands and body.
What’s that sound?
Another interesting baby fact is that they are always listening, even before they are born. It is well documented that many babies can quickly recognize their mother’s voice even at two days old. Some researchers suggest that a baby may be able to pick out their mom from a single syllable.
Where are the tears?
Most people don’t think about the baby fact that while babies come out of the womb able to cry, the earliest they show tears is three weeks. More commonly, infants don’t begin to produce actual tears until four or five months of age. Check it out the next time your newborn is crying.
Why are you grinning?
As reported in Live Science, smiling is not a behavior that is learned but rather is an instinctive response to emotion. While the study was focused on adult athletes who were blind at birth, the principle seems to apply to babies as well.
When did you get so strong?
One of the most exciting baby facts is that a newborn’s grasp reflex is strong enough to hold up their entire body weight. Baby broom hanging was a practice in the early 20th century in which babies would grasp onto a broom and be suspended in the air holding themselves up.
How’d you get up there?
The last of our baby facts is that if a continued to grow at the rate of their first year, they would be at least 170 feet tall by the time they reached adulthood. Check out this book by Davis Helen on baby growth rates and development.