eSnips and snails – isn't that how the old rhyme begins describing little boys? It may have been all in fun, but along with its companion rhyme about little girls, it was pretty accurate about the fact that baby boys and baby girls are different. And those differences are apparent even in infancy.

As soon as your baby boy is born, his physical differences require you to make choices you don't need to make with a daughter – namely whether or not to circumcise. And no matter your choice, you'll have to care for him differently than you would a baby girl.

Baby boys tend to be easier to clean at diaper time, though it's common to be a little nervous with your first boy. "Most first-time boy mothers are worried they will hurt their son as they try to wash those persistent pieces of lint that are stuck to their son's penis," says Adie Goldberg, licensed clinical social worker and coauthor of It's a Baby Boy! (Jossey-Bass, 2009). "If you have decided not to circumcise your son, gently pull back the foreskin and clean the head of the penis."

Another thing first-time parents of boys may not realize is that even infant boys have erections. "These erections are normal and you can expect your boy to have several a day," says Goldberg. "Often this tiny erection is in response to a full bladder, so you might see this when he is naked. Grab a diaper and shield his penis to prevent getting squirted with a warm stream!"

Physically, boys have less mature skeletal systems, making them slightly more vulnerable to injury than girls. "Boys are not only more physically vulnerable during [the] first year of life, they are more physically active with behaviors like squirming, kicking and wiggling, which may lead to more accidents," says Kimberly Parker, a registered nurse and clinical program manager at Child Health Promotion-Early Childhood Wellness, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

A Baby Boy's Development

When it comes to growth and development, there are, again, many differences between the sexes. "From the beginning most boys move more than girls," says Goldberg. "And they'll take up more space doing so! This does not change over time and he'll be very comfortable exploring the world at distances that stretch your comfort zone."

When watching the development of her 6-month-old son in comparison to her daughter, who is now 4, Jennifer DeCuir, a mom from Bothell, Wash., definitely sees a difference. "[My son] was reaching for things and holding onto toys and rattles earlier," DeCuir says. "I put him on his tummy on the floor and he reaches for the furniture and tries to pull himself up. He's not quite sitting on his own but I really have to wonder if that is partly because he is so darned active that he can't sit still long enough to try. The world is his playground and there are just not enough hours in the day for him."

One reason for all this physical activity is hormones. "Testosterone is present in baby boys from conception, and is impacting every part of their development, including brain development," says Parker. "Testosterone actually impacts how the brain is 'hard-wired' for baby boys. At the very least, it will affect processing, storage and retrieving of information."

Boys tend to be all abut movement – both physically and visually. "While your daughters may have found your face her preferred object, don't take it personally if your son does not," says Goldberg. "Most boys are fascinated by objects and especially objects in motion. This has been documented within the first 24 hours of life, when baby boys preferred the mobile above their bassinet. Most girls preferred live human faces."

A Baby Boy's Behavior

Boys may be more active and girls more social, but when it comes to behavior, infant boys offer up a few surprises. "Although the common belief is that girls are more emotional than boys, even the very young boys tend to have stronger emotions than girls," says Parker. "They may be more easily agitated and have a harder time self-soothing."

Joe and Uliana Froelich from Atlanta, Ga., are the parents of triplets, two girls and a boy. Joe Froelich reports seeing evidence of his son's strong emotions. "My son is more difficult than my two girls," he says. "He is definitely more moody, cranky, more interested in physical contact (being held) and likes being the center of attention. He tends to cry more than the girls. And he's definitely harder to calm down."

The idea of enjoying physical contact more than girls may come as a surprise to parents of new baby boys, too. "We have heard one recurrent theme when it comes to the difference between raising a baby boy versus a baby girl, and it's good news for parents who are expecting a boy," say baby planners Sandee Tisdale and Kristen Parker of Boston's Perfecting Expecting. "We've heard that the baby boys tend to be more loving, cuddly and compliant than their ... sisters."

DeCuir agrees. "I worried that a son would be more standoffish and independent," she says. "If anything, my son is more cuddly than my daughter. I know that won't last too long so I intend to cherish it as long as I have it."

While young boys may feel strong emotions, as they get a little older, they may have a harder time showing them, so parents may have a tougher time soothing them or figuring out what is wrong. "Boys not only learn to talk later than girls, but use more limited vocabularies," says Kimberly Parker. "This can even make it difficult for infant boys to express feelings of emotional and/or physical discomfort."

General Tips on Baby Boys

Moms, especially, may be worried about having a baby boy. But it will all fall into place. "When I first found out I was having a boy I panicked," says DeCuir. "I was so used to girl stuff – and being a girl. I kept thinking Should I study up on dinosaur types and construction equipment? Having a daughter was a no-brainer but having a son made me feel like there was some prep work involved. I still feel like I don't know enough about boy things, but he and I will learn it all together."

Kimberly Parker would remind parents there are very few certainties when talking about the differences between boys and girls. "Boys will be different than other boys, girls will be different than other girls, and certainly boys and girls will be different from each other," she says. "However, we must also understand that boys and girls are hardwired differently from birth, and these biological differences can [be] magnified with social and environmental changes. Appreciating the individuality of each child, and providing opportunities for physical and emotional growth that meet [his or her] own needs, are the best things we can do to ensure happy and healthy development."

See iParenting article at http://www.babiestoday.com/articles/behavior/baby-boy-6648.