Infants aren’t just miniature adults. Their anatomy is different from grown-ups in many unbelievable ways. For example, babies have more bones than adults. Although it’s hard to believe this impossible fact about babies, it’s actually backed by science. Here are six verifiable truths about babies that can be hard to wrap your head around.
1. Babies Have More Bones
As mentioned above, babies have more bones than adults. This impossible fact about babies seems false because infants are so small, but it’s actually true. According to UnityPoint Health, a newborn has around 300 bones. As the baby grows up, these bones eventually fuse together. That’s why a typical adult only has 206 bones.
2. Babies Have Different Kneecaps Than Adults
Another impossible fact about babies is that their kneecaps are different from adults. They’re made of cartilage instead of bone to provide more flexibility. A rigid, bony kneecap could break during birth or later when your child learns to walk. So children’s kneecaps don’t transition from cartilage into bone until they’re between two and six years old. This hardening process (called ossification) is slow and can take several years from start to finish. Wild, right?
3. Newborns Have More Taste Buds
Newborns have nearly triple the number of taste buds adults have according to Huggies. And they’re located all over your baby’s mouth, including the roof and sides. Even with all those taste buds, babies can’t taste salt until they’re about 4 months old. But infants can distinguish sweet, sour, bitter, and savory flavors, making different facial expressions in response to each one. How cute!
4. Infants Fake Cough as a Prank
Believe it or not, babies start pranking their parents early in life. According to Parents.com, your child may start fake coughing as a joke at around 6 months. When you rush over to see what’s wrong, your baby will probably stop hacking and flash you a mischievous little grin. This is an adorable sign that their social skills are developing. Experts suggest joining in on this hilarious gag and fake coughing along with your baby.
5. Babies Can Be Forgetful
Did your baby learn a new skill, show it off a few times, and then abruptly stop? Sometimes babies can forget things they’ve learned, whether it’s rolling over or shaking a rattle. This is because they have an incomplete memory of how to perform the action, even if they’ve done it on multiple occasions. Eventually, they’ll master these skills and they’ll become second nature, so don’t be too concerned. After all, even adults forget stuff sometimes!
6. Babies Have Bad Eyesight
Our final impossible fact about babies is that they’re born with pretty bad eyesight. You would think that a newborn’s brand-new eyeballs would create a 20/20 vision. However, infants actually have trouble seeing things that are far away. During their first months of life, infants aren’t great at recognizing colors and respond better to black and white. Both vision and color perception gradually improve on their own, so don’t be worried.
Babies Are Amazing!
When you stop and think about it, babies are amazing. It’s incredible to see how quickly they learn and develop new skills. In addition to being downright adorable, infants are smart, observant, and always soaking up new information from their environment. It’s a blessing to be able to watch them grow and thrive!