Thank you very much! „Weans“ for small children makes perfect sense to me now.

But I‘m still not completely understanding the connection to the spelling of the word in the original poem by Bobby Sands... „wee‘ans“. (Btw, is this also pronounced „wains“, like „weans“?)
Are these the „wee ones“? Meaning the „tiny ones“ or even „those still wearing diapers“?