The Museum’s Patron, the Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to her second child just a few days ago, so the Museum’s online shop has been gearing up with gift ideas for newborns. With bibs, toys and T-shirts it’s never too early to introduce your littlest to the prehistoric world. We also take a look at some of the incredible facts about the first six months of your little hatchling’s life.
Amazing baby facts
Here’s our favourite things about newborns.
They learn words while still in the womb.
According to research from the University of Helsinki, your newborn will recognise sounds it heard whilst in utero for up to four months after birth. This includes words, the theme tune from mum’s favourite TV programme or just mum’s favourite song.
They’re programmed by evolution to put things into their mouth.
It seems that their annoying habit of placing anything and everything in their mouths starts right from birth. It’s an evolutionary instinct that they’re born with to make sure that they get enough food.
They have incredibly strong reflexes
That amazingly strong grip that your baby has is due to a reflex. It’s strong enough to support their entire body weight.
They cry in your accent
Researchers from Germany found that babies pick up elements of their mother’s accent while in the womb. Their cries reflect the inflection and cadences of your mother tongue. While studying the differences between the cries of French and German babies, researchers found that the cries of French babies had a rising accent while the cries of German babies had a falling inflection.
They can’t produce tears
You may be surprised with the amount of crying that your baby does that they don’t actually produce tears. This is because of the fact that their tear ducts are still developing, so while they can produce enough moisture to protect baby’s eyes they can’t produce enough to form actual tears.
They have more tastebuds than you.
And not just on their tongue… these extra tastebuds cover the roof and sides of their mouth. They have the ability to taste sweet and bitter from birth, but they won’t develop a sensitivity to salty tastes until they are about four months old.
They’re born with a fully developed inner ear.
It is the only sense organ that develops to its adult size in the womb. It reaches it’s full size around week 20 of pregnancy and it is from this point that the foetus will start to respond to sound.
One baby is born every eight seconds.
That’s according to the United States Census Bureau, although other statistics claim that it’s more like one every two seconds. However you look at it, that’s a lot of babies.
Personalised gifts
Our range of personalised gifts include a baby T-shirt with a Stegosaurus and a baby onesie featuring a Diplodocus. Simply enter baby’s name decide on their dinosaur suffix and enter the year that they were ‘discovered’. The perfect gift customised especially for your baby. We hope to be printing #Charlottsaurus soon.
Visit the online shop for hundreds of gift ideas that support the Museum’s work.