The book of Didache was written in the first century AD.
Didache:
The fasting may suggest that they didn't baptize infants.
Fasting has only ever been for those who
can. The Eastern Churches are known for a lot of fasting, and they are very serious about their fasting. But even the most fervent advocate of fasting in Orthodoxy would still say that if someone is too young, too old, too sick, too weak (etc) to fast, then they
absolutely should not fast.
Fasting is only for those who can do so in a
healthy way.
Infants, naturally, can't fast. So even though fasting before receiving baptism is still the norm in most traditional churches, naturally infants are not expected to fast.
Let's take a look at another ancient Christian work, the Apostolic Traditions by Hippolytus (possibly St. Hippolytus of Rome, though it is suspected to be the work of another Hippolytus).
Concerning baptism the author writes,
"
The children shall be baptized first. All of the children who can answer for themselves, let them answer. If there are any children who cannot answer for themselves, let their parents answer for them, or someone else from their family." - Apostolic Traditions 21:4
Earlier, talking about the preparations for receiving baptism, the author writes,
"
Those who are to receive baptism shall fast on the Preparation of the Sabbath." - Apostolic Traditions 20:7
Since, by this time, the custom was that catechumens were baptized together, on the Lord's Day (Sunday)--usually the Paschal Feast/Easter--then the time before this was a time to prepare. Part of this preparation involved fasting on Friday,
This period of fasting, as noted, is still common in many churches today. And it does not preclude receiving infants through baptism, it's simply acknowledged that infants can't fast so it's silly to expect them to. But those who can fast, do, not just the baptismal candidates, but the entire congregation.
This is actually how Lent began. As it became the standard practice to baptize on Pascha/Easter, and pre-baptism fasting has been the ancient practice of the Church, a period of fasting before Pascha/Easter emerged. Mirroring the 40 days of fasting of the Lord in the desert, it became an opportunity for the Church to come together to prepare their hearts in repentance, confession of sin, fasting, prayer, and to meditate upon God's word in readiness of the joy of Jesus' resurrection--where the fast is broken.
But, again, infants and young children have never been expected to fast. Neither the elderly, the sick, those who are too weak, etc. Fasting is only meant for people who have the health of body and mind to do it. Fasting should not be harmful to ourselves, either to our bodies or our minds. Anyone too young, too old, too sick, or too weak should not fast. That has always been Christian practice and teaching.
-CryptoLutheran
