Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Why do people refer to babies in months instead of years?

For example, when a child is 16 months. He/she is already a year and four months. But why do parents/doctors use months until they are 2 years old... or older?

12 Answers

Relevance
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    That's how doctors keep up with babies & young children due dates for immuizations. A doctor wouldn't say its time for your child's 36 week check-up. Most people are not that comprehensive. So 9 months sounds better. Then sooner or later it would be it's time for your child's 365 day check-up which is 1 yr. check-up. So i guess its just comprehensive for doctors, nurses and parents to understand.

  • 1 decade ago

    Isn't it easier to say 16 months instead of a year and four months? Does it really matter? The first year is measured in months out of necessity - because there are so many changes in that first year. There are also quite a few changes in the year before the second birthday too. Once the baby is two years old, she/he becomes a toddler. In fact, the first 3 months, the baby is considered an infant.

    I've never heard a toddler older than 2 years referred to as '28months', so don't worry, times will change. When you have to start worrying is when the kid is 13.

  • 1 decade ago

    I guess they're so used to saying my baby is 2 months, or 6 months, etc....also, babies develop new abilities and are expected to do things at a certain age, and its normally told at a certain how many months...its just easier that way....once the child reaches 2 years old, they're expected to be able to walk and start talking, and then they develop other abilities slower, as they have developed most of them by the age of 2....hope this helps

  • Sleek
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    There was a comedian, sorry I don't remember his name. He was Halle Berry's boyfriend in B.A.P.S., but he had the most hilarious joke about this! "Break that s*** down for me, man! Break it down!"

    I think people do this because of the countdown that starts in charting prenatal growth and then every little precious minute, day, week and month matter because those little sweeties grow up so quickly.

    So, I think people should try to rephrase their questions to get the answer they want. BUT how old is a child under one year to you? "Oh, she's zero!" That doesn't work, so it flows past the "1 year," 12 month mark.

    ;-D winks

    PIERRE! I remembered his name, his name is Pierre, about 429 months old now, I think! Yeah!

  • How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Well, children are the best ,beautiful gifts for any individual by God.Even if a child turns older,he is a kid for her mom.So a child is refered in months than years.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    ~~mainly because in the first two years of a childs life they go through so many changes, that it is easier to keep up with what a child should be capable of at the age the child is.~~ (also it helps for the baby's clothing industry)~~

  • 1 decade ago

    Because even a month makes a huge difference in development at this stage of life. Thus age has to be very specific.

  • 1 decade ago

    The mental and physical development in an infant changes so rapidly, that in order to determine the well-being of your child, you need to know what is appropriate for each month, especially before age 1 and age 2.

    You don't have kids, do you? or if you do, you don't spend anytime with them I am guessing.

  • 1 decade ago

    because their time on earth is so short...if a baby is 6 months old and someone asks you how old the baby is you would tell them 0 years....nobody is 0 years old, but to say in months people understand how old it is.

  • zaazzy
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    It makes life simpler. They are special so we refer to their age in a "special Way' This question has been asked a million times.

    Thanks for 2 points

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.