140 Fun Facts About Baby Shower

Roughly how many bones does a human have at birth, before some fuse together?

Adults end up with around 206 once the skull plates, sacrum and other pieces have knitted together over the years.

A newborn's kneecap is made of what?

It only starts turning to bone around age three, which is one reason toddlers can crawl on hard floors without complaint.

What is the everyday name for the fontanelles, the membranous gaps between the bones of a baby's skull?

The largest, diamond-shaped one sits at the top front of the head; they let the skull flex during birth and give the fast-growing brain room.

The word "infant" comes from a Latin word meaning what?

Neonate has a Latin root too, and in medicine it means specifically the first 28 days after birth.

In developed countries, what is the approximate average birth weight of a full-term newborn?

Newborns typically lose 3-7 percent of that in the first week as fluid clears from the lungs, then start gaining.

How many primary (baby) teeth does a child grow in total?

Teething usually starts around six months and the last of them come through by about two and a half.

At about what age does teething typically begin?

It continues off and on until the child is somewhere between 25 and 33 months old.

Over the first two weeks of life, how many hours a day does a newborn sleep on average?

The catch is that it comes in short cycles of two to four hours, which is why the parents look the way they do.

By roughly what age has the umbilical cord stump usually dried up and dropped off?

If it is still hanging on after three weeks, doctors will want a look, since it can hint at an immune problem.

The Apgar newborn score was devised in 1952 by a doctor in which specialty?

Virginia Apgar's surname later became a backronym for the five things it checks: Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration.

What is the maximum Apgar score a newborn can receive?

Each of five criteria is scored 0, 1 or 2, and the check is repeated at five minutes.

The rooting reflex helps a hungry newborn do what?

Babies only show it when they are hungry and touched by someone else, not when they brush their own cheek.

When you place a finger in a newborn's palm, the fingers close around it. What is this response called?

A fetus can do it in the womb from about 28 weeks, and it fades between two and six months as real fine-motor control arrives.

The Moro reflex, in which a baby flings its arms out then pulls them in, is a response to what?

Ernst Moro first triggered it by slapping a pillow on either side of the infant's head; unlike an ordinary startle it does not fade with repetition.

Human babies in their first half-year share which instinctive response with seals, otters and dolphins?

Chilling and wetting the face while holding the breath slows the heart and shunts blood to the core, which is why baby swim classes exist.

The first milk a mother produces, rich in antibodies, is called what?

For calves and lambs it is a matter of life and death; human babies get some passive protection through the placenta as well.

Around what age do babies enter the 'canonical' babbling stage of distinct vowel and consonant sounds?

That is when the classic ba-ba-ba and da-da-da strings start, and when the volume, pitch and rate begin to vary.

The crusty, oily scaly patches sometimes seen on a baby's scalp are commonly known as what?

It is neither painful nor itchy, and when it shows up elsewhere doctors call it infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis.

Which people are recorded as having the highest rate of twin births in the world?

One theory blames a local yam containing a natural phytoestrogen that may prompt both ovaries to release an egg.

Identical twins develop from how many fertilised eggs?

Fraternal twins each come from a separate egg, which is why they can be a boy and a girl.

In which year did Olivia become the most popular name given to baby girls in the United States?

Back in 1880, the first year with records, it ranked only 232nd.

The American baby boom generation is usually defined as people born between which years?

Merriam-Webster, Pew and the US Census all land on roughly the same window.

According to Wikipedia, the baby shower as we know it became popular in which period?

Older cultures marked births too: ancient Greeks greeted the end of labour with a shout, and South Indian families still hold Simantha in the seventh or eighth month.

The 2008 blog post credited with starting gender reveal parties revealed a baby's sex using what?

By 2019 she was publicly regretting it, noting parents were "burning down forests and exploding cars" to copy the idea.

In European folklore, which bird is said to bring babies to new parents?

German versions had the bird finding babies in caves or marshes and carrying them home in a basket or in its beak.

Architect William Kent built an early baby stroller in 1733 for which aristocrat's children?

It was a shell-shaped basket on wheels meant to be pulled by a goat or small pony.

In 1946 Marion Donovan made the "Boater", an early waterproof diaper cover, out of what?

She sold it at Saks Fifth Avenue in 1949, patented it in 1951 and sold the rights for a million dollars.

Pampers began in 1961 after P&G's Victor Mills tired of changing whose cloth diapers?

He set his team to work on a disposable alternative and the brand followed.

Ann Turner Cook, the model for the famous Gerber Baby drawing, grew up to work as what?

Her father drew the comic strip Captain Easy; the sketch of her as a baby has been on the jars since 1928.

Sophie the Giraffe, the squeaky rubber teether, was launched in 1961 in which country?

Her name comes from the feast day of Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, the day she went on sale.

The teddy bear takes its name from which US president?

He reportedly loathed the nickname; the toy took off after a 1902 cartoon of him refusing to shoot a tethered bear.

Cabbage Patch Kids famously came with a birth certificate and what other paperwork?

Coleco's plastic-headed version, first produced in 1982, set off one of the great holiday toy stampedes.

The first baby monitor, the Radio Nurse of 1937, was made by which company?

It was a two-part radio set: a transmitter by the crib and a Bakelite receiver in the parents' room.

Kewpie dolls began life as baby-cupid cartoon characters drawn by which American illustrator?

They first appeared in her comic strips in 1909, and paper-doll versions came before the bisque ones.

In November 2020, which children's song became the most-viewed YouTube video of all time?

Pinkfong's version went on to become the first video to pass 10 billion views in January 2022.

Which Sesame Street Muppet is famous for singing to his rubber duckie?

He has performed the song many times since the show began and often chatted to the duck between sketches.

Who voices the title character in the 2017 animated film The Boss Baby?

It is loosely based on Marla Frazee's 2010 picture book and was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar.

How old is Grogu, better known as Baby Yoda, during the first episode of The Mandalorian?

His species ages so slowly that half a century still leaves him an infant; the character is mostly puppetry and animatronics.

In The Simpsons, which Hollywood star voiced Maggie's first word in the episode "Lisa's First Word"?

Maggie rarely speaks at all; the sucking of her red pacifier is her trademark sound.

In the 1989 comedy Look Who's Talking, who provides the voice of baby Mikey's thoughts?

Only the audience can hear him; John Travolta and Kirstie Alley play the grown-ups.

Which Star Trek actor directed the 1987 hit Three Men and a Baby?

It was the biggest American box-office hit of 1987, beating Fatal Attraction.

The baby on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind is swimming toward what?

Four-month-old Spencer Elden was the son of a friend of the photographer; the shoot produced five usable frames.

Which two-day-old did Time call "the most famous baby in the world" in January 2012?

Her cries on Jay-Z's song "Glory" earned her a Guinness record as the youngest person ever credited on a Billboard chart.

Prince George of Wales was born in July 2013 at which London institution?

He was third in line to the throne at birth and is now second, behind his father.

Bamm-Bamm, the super-strong toddler in The Flintstones, is the adopted son of which couple?

They found him left on their doorstep; his name comes from what he yells while swinging his club.

Which of these is NOT one of the informal names for a pacifier listed on Wikipedia?

Binky started out in about 1935 as a trademarked brand name from a New York baby-products company.

"Rock-a-bye Baby" is believed to have first appeared in print around 1765 in which collection?

That printing added a moral: it "may serve as a warning to the proud and ambitious, who climb so high that they generally fall at last."

Anne Geddes, famous for photographing babies as flowers and vegetables, was born where?

She taught herself photography at 25 on her husband's Pentax and by 1997 was selling 1.8 million calendars a year.

The ancient practice of wrapping a baby snugly in cloth so its limbs cannot move much is called what?

Historically bands were sometimes wound on top to restrict movement even further.

A related 19th-century custom hid presents inside what item, which 'showered' the bride when opened?

That bridal shower custom is thought to have inspired the term 'shower'.

Traditionally, a baby shower was given only for which child in a family?

Smaller 'diaper showers' are common for subsequent babies.

According to Miss Manners, who should typically host a baby shower?

Family hosting is considered begging for gifts on a relative's behalf.

Why are showers usually not held in the last few weeks of pregnancy?

Many societies have no pre-birth celebrations at all.

In South India, in which months is the Simantha pregnancy ritual held?

A musical event to please the baby's ears is its highlight.

Which ancient Greek ceremony marked a baby's integration into the household days after birth?

A public 'dekate' ceremony after ten days marked the mother's return to society.

In medieval Europe, godparents traditionally gave a baptised child what gift?

Priests often visited women in labor so they could confess, given the risk of death.

Which Victorian superstition hinted a woman might be pregnant?

Upper-class British manners required pregnancy to be treated with discretion.

A Victorian christening was usually held when the child was how old?

It was an important social event for family, godparents and friends.

Which region of the world notably does NOT commonly hold baby showers?

They are common in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

In the Islamic tradition of Aqiqah, what happens after a birth?

The meat is distributed among relatives and the poor.

The modern US baby shower took off in which era?

Post-war women were expecting the Baby Boomer generation.

Which modern shower game involves a sonogram?

Games have evolved with technology while the 1950s traditions continue.

What phrase do some families use to discourage shower gifts?

Some organize a blessing ceremony instead.

An Egyptian baby shower is called 'Sebouh', a name meaning what?

It is celebrated one week after birth, often with a DJ and candy buffet.

What is a baby shower called in South Africa?

They usually happen in the sixth month and are often a surprise.

An Armenian 'qarasunq' baby celebration is held how many days after birth?

It is a mixed party for all relatives and friends.

When is the Chinese 'manyue' celebration held?

In China it is considered unlucky to hold a shower before the baby is born.

In Hmong 'Puv Hli' ceremonies, what is tied around the baby's wrist?

It is hosted by the paternal grandparents or the father one month after birth.

An Iranian 'sismooni party' is held when?

Family give gifts like a cot, toys and clothes.

Nepal's Pasni celebration marks a boy's 6th month or a girl's which month?

It marks the transition to a diet higher in carbohydrates.

Vietnamese 'Đầy tháng' guests are advised to avoid gifts of what color?

The name means 'one full month', when the party is held.

Which two wildfires were started by gender reveal party effects?

Trend originator Jenna Karvunidis later pleaded for people to stop staging such events.

Who wrote the 2008 blog post credited with starting gender reveal parties?

Her blog was High Gloss and Sauce on ChicagoNow.

What is the third party who keeps the baby's sex secret before a reveal sometimes called?

They arrange the reveal so the parents learn along with guests.

Ultrasound for fetal sex is typically done at around how many weeks?

It can be reliably done from roughly 65 days.

Which country's law bars doctors from revealing sex before 32 weeks, per a 2022 report?

Parties there sometimes focus on the grandparents rather than the parents.

Which is a Canadian English word for a pacifier?

Australians and Britons say dummy; the Irish say dodie; Scots say dokey.

A 17th-19th century English 'coral' was a teething toy often mounted in silver as the handle of what?

Coral, ivory or bone were thought to lend the child animal strength.

Which Scottish housewife developed the two-part Paddi disposable diaper from 1947?

Boots agreed to sell Paddi in all its branches in 1950.

Since 2008, at least 40 countries have banned baby bottles containing which chemical?

BPS and BPF have been used as substitutes but may pose similar risks.

Which sculptor created a duck sculpture in the 1940s that became a rubber duck classic?

The rubber duck entered the Toy Hall of Fame in 2013 alongside chess.

How many Friendly Floatees bath toys spilled into the Pacific in a 1992 storm?

The containers held equal numbers of blue turtles, yellow ducks, red beavers and green frogs.

Which teeth are usually the first baby teeth to erupt?

They typically arrive between 6 and 10 months of age.

Which food does Yoruba twinning research link to their world-record twin rate?

The yam contains a natural phytoestrogen that may stimulate both ovaries.

Identical twins that split after how many days of development are likely to be conjoined?

Non-conjoined monozygotic twins form up to day 14.

Which composer wrote the most famous lullaby, 'Wiegenlied', in 1868?

Some speculate his sleep apnea inspired the piece.

Which poet wrote 'The Star', the source of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'?

It was published in 1806 in Rhymes for the Nursery with her sister Ann.

'Twinkle, Twinkle' is sung to a French melody that which composer wrote variations on?

'Ah! vous dirai-je, maman' was first published in 1761.

'Hush, Little Baby' is thought to have been written in which region?

Its mother narrator plans a series of contingency gifts.

Which company released the viral 2016 version of 'Baby Shark'?

It became the first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views in January 2022.

What full name does Baby Yoda eventually take in 'The Mandalorian'?

It was revealed in 'Chapter 13: The Jedi'.

Roughly how much did the Grogu puppet reportedly cost to make?

Actor Adam Pally said Jon Favreau told him the figure.

Which studio designed the Grogu puppet?

He is mostly animatronics and puppetry, accented with CGI.

'The Boss Baby' is loosely based on a picture book by which author?

The 2017 film was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar.

Which screenwriter wrote the 1994 flop 'Baby's Day Out'?

It bombed in the US but became a hit in the Indian subcontinent.

What is baby Bink's full name in 'Baby's Day Out'?

He is a nine-month-old living in a Chicago mansion.

Which 1998 film introduced Tommy Pickles' baby brother Dil?

Rugrats in Paris introduced Chuckie's stepsister Kimi in 2000.

'Rugrats' was the second of which trio of original Nickelodeon animated series?

It came after Doug and before The Ren & Stimpy Show, premiering August 11, 1991.

Who created the Baby Einstein franchise?

Its videos pair simple objects with reorchestrated classical music.

Gerber began in 1927 in which Michigan town?

Founder Daniel Frank Gerber's wife Dorothy started hand-straining food for their daughter Sally.

Which company markets Huggies diapers?

Huggies replaced the Kimbies brand in 1977.

A bassinet is designed for babies from birth to about what age?

After that, babies usually move to a crib or cot.

Which Johnson & Johnson scientist pioneered talcum baby powder in the 1890s?

Baby powder can also be corn starch or potato starch.

Which German toymaker developed the teddy bear at the same time as Morris Michtom?

The name came from a 1902 Mississippi bear-hunting trip.

Which company did Morris Michtom found after his teddy bears took off?

He was inspired by a Berryman cartoon of Roosevelt.

Meconium's name derives from a Greek word for which plant?

Aristotle believed it induced sleep in the fetus.

Which color is a newborn's meconium usually?

It is sticky like tar and almost odorless.

Which two doctors first presented kangaroo mother care in Bogotá in 1983?

The WHO has recommended it for low-birth-weight infants since 2003.

Roughly what share of new mothers experience the 'baby blues'?

It usually lasts only a few days.

The postpartum period is typically considered to last how long?

The WHO calls it the most critical yet most neglected phase for mothers and babies.

Who published the first English nursery rhyme collections, Tommy Thumb's Song Book, in 1744?

Newbery's stepson Thomas Carnan first used 'Mother Goose' for rhymes in 1780.

After infancy, the anterior fontanelle is known by what anatomical name?

An infant's skull has five main bones: two frontal, two parietal, one occipital.

Within how many weeks after birth does the posterior fontanelle usually close?

The larger anterior soft spot takes much longer.

Which combination of blood vessels does a human umbilical cord normally contain?

They are buried in Wharton's jelly.

Roughly how many US children are injured badly enough by baby walkers each year to need the ER?

Pediatricians have called for an outright ban.

Which reference work first cited the word 'playpen' in 1902?

Modern-style playpens existed by the 1920s for families with a nursery.

Which aeronautical engineer designed the lightweight folding stroller in 1965?

He responded to his daughter's complaints about hauling a heavy pram across the Atlantic.

Which sculptor designed the 1937 Zenith Radio Nurse baby monitor?

Eugene F. McDonald developed the product.

What term do critics of gender stereotyping prefer over 'motherese'?

All caregivers use distinct speech patterns with young children.

Which sleep position most effectively reduces the risk of SIDS?

Rates fell up to 80% where 'Safe to Sleep' campaigns ran.

For how long does the WHO recommend exclusive breastfeeding?

It then recommends continuing with complementary foods for up to two years and beyond.

Medically, a neonate is an infant in the first how many days after birth?

Babies born before 37 weeks are called premature.

Babies born through how many weeks are considered 'late term'?

Anything beyond 42 weeks is 'post term'.

Which amino acid disorder launched newborn screening programs?

Infants with PKU appear normal at birth but cannot metabolize phenylalanine.

By what percentage does a term newborn's weight typically drop in the first 5-7 days?

It is mostly fluid loss and a delay before breastfeeding becomes effective.

By the end of which week of gestational age is the embryo referred to as a fetus?

Prenatal development begins with fertilization in the germinal stage.

Which US agency's act defines infant formula as simulating human milk?

Formula is designed for infants under 12 months.

Baby food is made for babies between six months and what age?

The WHO recommends waiting until six months to start solids.

The Dionne quintuplets, born in 1934, were the first quintuplets known to have done what?

The identical girls were born just outside Callander, Ontario; the provincial government later made them wards of the Crown and a tourist attraction.

In the 1938 screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby, what kind of animal is Baby?

Howard Hawks directed Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in the tale of a paleontologist, a scatterbrained heiress and a big cat.

Which real New York apartment building stood in for the Bramford in Rosemary's Baby (1968)?

Roman Polanski's adaptation starred Mia Farrow as the pregnant newlywed; filming began in New York in August 1967.

In Edgar Wright's Baby Driver (2017), why does the getaway driver Baby constantly listen to music?

He lost his parents in a car crash that left him with the ringing in his ears; the film's action is cut to his playlists.

How many weeks did Sir Mix-a-Lot's 'Baby Got Back' spend at number one on the Hot 100 in 1992?

It was the second best-selling song in the US that year, released as the second single from his album Mack Daddy.

Nadya Suleman, dubbed 'Octomom', gave birth to the first surviving octuplets in which year?

The high-order multiple birth sparked controversy over assisted reproduction; she already had six children.

Before the Dionne quintuplets were born, what did their doctor believe the mother's pregnancy involved?

Elzire Dionne had little access to prenatal care; Dr. Allan Roy Dafoe judged by the size of her abdomen and never suspected multiple babies.

Sophie the Giraffe, the classic teether, is made from which material?

The 7-inch-tall squeaky toy has been made since 1961 and is a staple of French nurseries.

Which actor's Baby Driver performance earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy?

The film also won a BAFTA and a Critics' Choice Award, mainly for technical achievement.

Which 1935 Ontario law made the famous Callander-born sisters wards of the Crown until age 18?

It came less than a year after a deal that built a hospital for the sisters, whose doctor had expected a single abnormal fetus rather than five babies.

Who wrote the 1967 novel on which Rosemary's Baby was based?

Levin also wrote The Stepford Wives and The Boys from Brazil; Polanski's film won Ruth Gordon an Oscar.

Which US city is the setting of Baby Driver?

Baby, real name Miles, ferries robbery crews for the kingpin Doc to pay off a debt for stealing a car.