Merriam-Webster Dictionary Adds ‘Fourth-Trimester’ to Describe Newborns as ‘More Fetus-Like Than Baby-Like’
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has added the term “fourth trimester” to describe the first months of a newborn’s life, which they say is “more fetus-like than baby-like.”
The addition was coined by pediatrician Dr. Harvey Karp who wrote a guide for new parents called, The Happiest Baby on the Block about 20 years ago.
In a press release about the new addition, the dictionary company wrote, “the fourth trimester is the first three to four months of a baby’s life after birth. The word ‘trimester’ implies that the baby is still a fetus…and that’s on purpose! A newborn’s brain and nervous system are not fully developed at birth, making them more fetus-like than baby-like.”
“Dr.
