What is the Swahili word for baby?

Mtoto mchanga (young child) refers to a baby and is often used in that sense in general statements, e.g., mtoto mchanga anahitaji usingizi mwingi, a baby needs a lot of sleep.

Mtoto (pl. watoto) means child (or dependent) of any age, from newborn to grownup. If the person spoken to didn't know the child the speaker would have to be specific as to how old the child was. Two examples: mtoto wangu ni mtu mzima, my child is a grownup; mtoto wangu ni mdogo, my child is little, i.e, a baby).