Infant

Topicupdated 2025-11-20 14:17
Infant

An infant is a formal term for the youngest developmental stage of a human being, typically referring to a child from birth up to one year of age. In medical and legal contexts, the term is often used to specify this early period of life, with "newborn" or "neonate" denoting the first 28 days after birth. While commonly synonymous with "baby," the word infant can also be applied to the young of other animals in specialized terminology.

This topic is notable because the health and welfare of infants are critical public health priorities worldwide. Due to their developing immune systems and specific nutritional needs, infants are particularly vulnerable to diseases and contaminants, making them a key focus for medical research, pediatric care, and regulatory standards.

Recently, the term has been prominent in news headlines due to an outbreak of infant botulism. Health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are investigating cases linked to specific infant formula products. Numerous reports in November 2025 detail a growing number of identified patients, expanded product recalls, and the establishment of public information hotlines in response to the outbreak.

This situation underscores the importance of stringent safety measures in products designed for infants. It highlights ongoing efforts by health agencies and news outlets to monitor and communicate risks to protect this vulnerable population.

Brief generated by an LLM (DeepSeek) from Wikipedia and recent news headlines.

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