Infant
An
infant is the very young offspring of a human or animal. When applied to humans, the term is usually considered synonymous with
baby or bairn, but the latter is commonly applied to the young of any animal. When a human child learns to walk, the term
toddler may be used instead. The term
infant is typically applied to young children between the ages of 1 month and 12 months; however, definitions may vary between birth and 1 year of age, or even between birth and 2 years of age. A
newborn is an infant who is only hours, days, or up to a few weeks old. In medical contexts, newborn or
neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth; the term applies to premature infants, postmature infants, and full term infants. Before birth, the term
fetus is used.