Baby Science
What is the name of the reflex that causes a newborn to turn toward a touch on their cheek?
Rooting reflex
Around what age do many babies begin rolling over?
Around 4–6 months
What is a baby seal called?
A pup
In “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” what color was the lamb?
White as snow
True of False: Babies can hiccup before they are born.
True
What is a baby's first stool called?
Meconium
What is the term for a baby's first smile in response to another person?
Social smile
What is a baby kangaroo called?
Joey
In “Little Miss Muffet,” what was she eating?
Curds and whey
What is the name of the cord that connects a developing baby to the placenta?
The umbilical cord
Which sense is particularly well developed at birth: smell, sight, or taste?
Smell
Around what age does object permanence typically begin to develop noticeably?
Around 4–8 months
What is a baby porcupine called?
A porcupette
In “This Little Piggy,” where did the last little piggy go?
Wee, wee, wee, all the way home
What reflex makes a newborn close their hand around a finger placed in their palm?
The palmar grasp reflex
What is the soft spot on a baby's head called?
Fontanelle
What is the name for the stage when babies practice sounds like “ba-ba” and “da-da”?
Babbling
What is a baby alpaca called?
A cria
In “Sing a Song of Sixpence,” what was baked in the pie?
Four-and-twenty blackbirds
What hormone is commonly associated with stimulating uterine contractions during labor?
Oxytocin
What substance coats a newborn's skin with a white, creamy protective layer?
Vernix caseosa
What is the term for the fine-motor skill of picking up small objects using the thumb and index finger?
Pincer grasp
What is a baby hedgehog called?
Hoglet
In “The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe,” how many children did she have?
So many she didn't know what to do; the rhyme doesn't give an exact number
What is the name of the first milk, rich in antibodies, produced in late pregnancy and after birth?
Colostrum