The word "baby" instantly conjures up images of something cute, adorable, chubby, and innocent. Of course, babies are exactly that. But behind those big round eyes, soft skin, and pink lips, there's much more. It's a common misconception that babies are ignorant and limited in their abilities. While this may be partly true, there are some surprising facts about babies worth knowing. Check out this list to learn a little about them.
1. By age three, babies develop a sense of gender identity and begin to behave accordingly.
Children are born with specific biological characteristics that determine their gender. "Gender identity" develops when a child begins to express themselves as "girl" or "boy." Research shows that while this sense is fully developed by age three, its foundation is laid at birth. Subconsciously, parents tend to treat girls and boys differently. By their second birthday, children begin to understand the physical differences between girls and boys, and by age three, they can identify as one of these categories. This sense also gives rise to an innate love of dolls in girls and building blocks in boys. Some common behavioral differences include: girls preferring the color pink, while boys prefer blue; girls prefer long and decorated hair, while boys prefer short hair; girls enjoy playing with tea sets or dollhouses, while boys enjoy playing soccer. (source)
2. Babies open their eyes inside the womb and can see light from outside.
Like other senses, eye development is controlled by the brain. Around the fourth week of pregnancy, the brain begins to shape the eyes, a process completed in the second trimester when the eyes are fully developed. Although the eyes can detect flashes of light and make subtle movements from one end to the other, babies are unable to open their eyes until the end of the second trimester. Once the eyes are fully formed, babies open their eyes and blink gently when awake. They react to bright light by kicking or falling. Another surprising fact about babies' eyes is that they change color several times during the first year after birth. (source)
3. Most infants can hold their breath and reflexively "swim" within the first six months of life. However, although they imitate these actions, they lack the strength and are incapable of true swimming.
By six months, most infants can hold their breath or even mimic swimming when immersed in water. However, while these actions resemble adult swimming, they occur reflexively and do not mean that infants are born with the ability to swim. They lack the strength and physical capacity to truly swim. Infants can reflexively hold their breath and survive in water for very short periods of time. During this reflex, called the "diving reflex" and observed in other aquatic mammals, the infant's heart rate slows, the need to breathe diminishes, and blood circulation also slows. All of this conserves oxygen for the heart and lungs. Thus, this reflex is an important survival mechanism for infants. (source)
4. Babies put everything in their mouths to strengthen their immune system. By tasting and chewing each new object, they develop the ability to respond to new infections and prevent future illnesses.
Babies have a very common and often annoying habit of putting everything in their mouths. While we may consider this a bad habit, research shows that it actually serves an important function. Babies have more white blood cells and lymphocytes than adults, which helps them produce antibodies and fight new infections more effectively. When babies are exposed to new infections, their immune system develops further, helping them avoid recurrence of the same infections in the future. (source)
5. A baby's crying affects the mother's brain and body. The hormone oxytocin stimulates the mother's brain when she hears her baby cry, making her more receptive to it.
The key point here is that infants have only one way to communicate—crying. It has been observed that mothers are better at recognizing their baby's cries, even from a distance. This maternal behavior is the result of the hormone oxytocin. It influences all aspects of maternal behavior, including birth, breastfeeding, and bonding. If the baby begins to cry, this hormone affects the mother's brain and stimulates her auditory receptors. This makes the mother more attentive to the crying. (source)
6. Unborn babies grow fine hairs known as lanugo in the womb. After the baby sheds these fine hairs in the womb, they mix with the amniotic fluid and are swallowed.
Unborn babies often develop fine, wool-like hair called "lanugo" in the womb. This growth typically begins as a whisker and gradually spreads over the entire body. It is believed to begin growing around the sixteenth week of pregnancy. Some babies shed this hair while still in the womb, while others are born with it. If lanugo is shed while in the womb, it mixes with the amniotic fluid and is swallowed by the baby. If a baby is born with lanugo, it is shed with the first stool, called "meconium.".
Lanugo can also be found in the fetuses of other animals. It protects the delicate skin of the baby from damage and also acts as a lubricant during birth. (source)
7. Babies have about 30,000 taste buds, while adults only have about 10,000. They are located not only on the tongue, but also on the sides, back, and roof of the mouth.
One of the reasons why babies are such picky eaters is that their mouths are filled with taste buds. Surprisingly, babies have about 30,000 of them. These receptors are located primarily on the tongue, but also on the sides and roof of the mouth, and even in the throat. By puberty, their number decreases to 10,000. (source)
8. Mothers instinctively kiss their babies. During the kiss, pathogens present on the baby's body are transferred to the mother, causing her to produce antibodies that are passed on through her milk.
It's perfectly natural for a mother to want to kiss her baby. It's a way to express love and strengthen the bond between them. But beyond that, there's an evolutionary reason why mothers kiss their children. By kissing their baby, the mother absorbs any germs or pathogens present on their skin. B-cells, which are responsible for producing antibodies, do their job, and the nursing mother passes these antibodies on to the baby through her milk. As a result, the baby becomes stronger. (1,2)
9. While in the womb, babies listen to and learn the language their mother speaks. After birth, their cries reflect their mother's distinctive intonation and accent, allowing them to distinguish a French baby from a German one.
Babies begin to adopt their mother's speech and accent quite early, even in the womb. The language and sounds surrounding them have a significant influence on the fetus in the womb. By the end of the third trimester, the mother's accent seems to be internalized, and it has been observed that after birth, the baby attempts to cry with the same accent. For example, if we listen to the cries of German and French babies, we see that they reflect differences in accent and intonation. Germans end their words with a falling intonation, while French babies use a rising intonation. This difference is often observed in the cry patterns of their babies. (source)
10. Mothers have a strong urge to "swallow" their babies. The baby's scent triggers the reward system in the mother's brain, generating pleasant sensations.
Both babies and mothers are highly sensitive to each other's scents. The scent of a newborn baby stimulates the mother's brain in a unique way. The chemical dopamine, which primarily transmits information from one neuron to another, also activates the brain's reward circuit. Dopamine triggers this circuit when pleasant odors are present, such as the scent of food or anything else that provides satisfaction. The scent of a baby also stimulates the reward circuit, thus making the mother want to "eat" her baby. (1,2)