小児

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 小児, read しょうに, means a young child.
• Basic usage: It appears in medicine warnings and discussions of explaining things in an age-appropriate way.
  • この薬は小児の手が届かない場所に保管してください。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Register compared with 子ども
  • 子ども is an everyday word, while 小児 is a more technical or formal term used in medical contexts and notices.