noun

infancy

IN-fun-see/ˈɪnfənsi/

The first stage of life after birth.

A baby in early infancy lies on its back in a crib.

A very young infant lying safely on its back on a plain crib mattress, with tiny curled hands and feet and unmistakably newborn proportions, illustrating the earliest stage of childhood.

Etymology

inLatinnot

+fanLatinto speak

+cyLatinstate or condition

The underlying image is the stage before a child can speak. This became a name for early childhood, then a way to describe the earliest stage of something's development.

In context

fusmadison45:46

i was adopted into a family of people in their 60s in the earliest infancy uh people who didn't even pretend to enjoy having to raise a young child

Sunday, July 18 @ 10 am - ``This I Believe`` with FUS Members

More examples

Babies grow rapidly during infancy.
She has known her best friend since infancy.
The research is still in its infancy.

Forms

infant noun — A baby in the earliest stage of life.

Similar words

babyhood: Names the time of being a baby more informally.
childhood: Covers a longer period, extending well beyond the baby years.