infant,baby,toddler,child,kid

[Ju]

1) May I know the differences among :

• infant
• baby
• toddler
• child
• kid

2) May I guess ?

infant (from newborn to one year old)
baby (same as 'infant')
toddler (a baby who starts to walk, mostly above one year old)
child (sorry, not much idea)
kid (sorry, not much idea but the same as 'child')



3) The plural forms of the aboved are :

infant (infants)
baby (babies)
toddler (toddlers)
child (children)
kid (kids)


Tks / ju

 

[SoothingDave]

I agree that "infant" describes the first stage after birth, but we would call that a "baby" as well. People go to the hospital to have a baby, not to have an "infant." "Infant" is almost a more clinical term.

And, from the perspective of the parent, the child is always their "baby."

 

[jlinger]

In travel, an Infant is a human who has not reached their second birthdate. This is an important distinction for issuing airplane tickets now, as the TSA requires a person's gender, and an infant female is designated as FI, for example, in the Sabre code.

 

[5jj]

In BrE, an infant is normally older than a baby. Infants (aged between four and seven) attend an infant school.

By the way, Ju, we speak of the difference between, not among any number of things.

 

[birdeen's call]

That's interesting. In the US, the reverse seems to be the case. When a person is born they are called an infant. Yes, they could also be called a baby but the term infant refers to a very young person. After some time (usually a few months) these infants are referred to as babies.

I thought when a person was born, they were called a newborn or a neonate.

 

[5jj]

I thought when a person was born, they were called a newborn or a neonate.

Neonate.
Thanks, BC. I always enjoy new words.
New to me, I should add. It undoubtedly exists, but I have never come across it.

 

[birdeen's call]

Neonate.
Thanks, BC. I always enjoy new words.
New to me, I should add. It undoubtedly exists, but I have never come across it.

That's what happens to people who read dictionaries like novels--they have their heads full of unnecessary words, but can't remember whether or not they have their glasses on... (I'm talking about myself here. )

 

[Tdol]

I thought when a person was born, they were called a newborn or a neonate.

Doctors and health professionals use neonate- I would leave it to them. If you went to see a friend who'd just had a baby and said What a lovely neonate, they'd probably think you were mad. ;-)