BABY encyclopedia topics

BABY - 6 reference results

test-tube baby: see in vitro fertilization.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright © 2004.
Licensed from Columbia University Press

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bush baby

bush baby, name for several small, active nocturnal primates of the loris family, found in forested parts of Africa. Bush babies, also called galagos, form the subfamily Galaginae. The smallest are about 1 ft (30 cm) long, including the long, furry tail. All have fluffy fur, small pointed faces with large eyes, and naked, highly mobile ears. The very large eyes are adapted for nocturnal vision and their pupils contract so as to be almost invisible. The long hind legs are specialized for jumping; the fingers and toes are long and slender, with fleshy terminal pads; and the thumb and big toe are opposable. Extremely swift and agile, bush babies leap like squirrels from branch to branch and hop on their hind legs on the ground. They feed on gums, insects, fruit, and vegetable matter. Senegal bush babies (Galago senegalensis) are familiar as pets. They are gregarious and spend much time grooming each other with their front teeth. Bush babies are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Primates, family Lorisidae.

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Licensed from Columbia University Press

blue baby

blue baby, infant born with a congenital heart defect that causes a bluish coloration of the skin as a result of cyanosis (deoxygenated blood). The color is most noticeable around the lips and at the tips of the fingers and toes. The cyanotic condition occurs when a large portion of the venous blood bypasses the lungs. Normally, deoxygenated blood from the veins is pumped from the right side of the heart to the lungs, where it is oxygenated (see circulatory system). In some blue babies, the pulmonary artery is too narrow to allow sufficient blood to pass into the lungs for oxygenation. Surgical correction of the defect is usually required and is usually successful. An incompatibility of fetal and maternal blood types may also cause a bluish coloration in newborn infants, a condition that results when red blood cells in the infant's blood are destroyed by antibodies in the mother's blood (see Rh factor). Sophisticated knowledge of blood types has made this condition increasingly rare.

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Licensed from Columbia University Press

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galago

Bush babies, or galagos (Galago senegalensis).

Any of six species of small, tree-dwelling primates (genus Galago) found in forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Galagos are gray, brown, or reddish or yellowish brown animals with large eyes and ears, long hind legs, soft woolly fur, and a long tail. They are active at night, feeding on fruits, insects, and small birds. Smaller forms, such as the bush baby, are particularly active and agile in the trees. On the ground, galagos sit upright and move by jumping with their hind legs. They range in length from 4.5–6 in. (11–16 cm), excluding the 7–8-in. (18–20-cm) tail, to 12–15 in. (30–37 cm), excluding the 16.5–18.5-in. (42–47-cm) tail.

Learn more about galago with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

infancy

In humans, the period of life between birth and the acquisition of language usually one to two years later. The average newborn infant weighs 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg) and is about 20 in (51 cm) long. At birth, infants display a set of inherited reflexes involving such acts as sucking, blinking, and grasping. They are sensitive to light-dark visual contrasts and movements and show a noticeable preference for gazing at the human face; they also begin to recognize the human voice. By 4 months of age most babies are able to sit up, and most begin crawling in 7–10 months; by 12 months most are able to start walking. Virtually all infants begin to comprehend some words several months before they themselves speak their first meaningful words.

Learn more about infancy with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

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