Newborn

Reflexes

Reflex =
an automatic, instinctive
response.

Examples:

yawning
sneezing
breathing
blinking

Newborn reflexes
Newborns have some reflex
behaviors that adults no longer
have.
What is
that baby
doing?

Why newborn reflexes?

Nature gives baby some reflexes
for very specific reasons.

Other reflexes do not have

specific reasons, but we can
explain why they are present.

Reasons for newborn

reflexes:
survival.

help the baby practice and learn

actions that will be voluntary
behaviors at a later age.

Explanation for some

reflexes:
immature nervous system.

 Some infant reflex behaviors are

permanent. (You are born with
these reflexes and you keep them.)

pupillary reflex
blinking
gag reflex
swallowing

 Some infant reflex behaviors are

temporary. (These behaviors
are present at birth, but they
disappear as the baby matures.)

Type of Reflexes
Localized
Extremities
Mass

TYPE OF REFLEXES
LOCALIZED
EXTREMITIES
MASS

Localized reflexes
Eyes
Blinking
Pupillary
Dolls eye

Nose
- Sneeze
- Glabellar

cont
Mouth and throat
Sucking
Gag
Rooting
Extrusion
Yawn
Cough

Extremities
Grasp
Babinski
Ankle clonus

Mass

Moro
Startle
Perez
Tonic neck
Trunk incurvation
Dance or step
Crawl
Placing

Rooting reflex
Definition: When the babys
cheek or lips are touched, he/she
will turn toward the touch and
search for a nipple.

Rooting reflex
Reason for the reflex:
survival
NOTE: This reflex is probably more
important in the animal kingdom than
in humans. Infant animals are often
born with their eyes sealed shut and
animal mothers can not guide their
young to the nipple as easily as
human mothers can.

Temporary reflex:
fades after 6 months

Sucking reflex
Definition: When something is
placed in the babys mouth,
he/she will begin to suck.

 Reason for reflex:

survival (method of securing
nourishment)

Temporary reflex:
fades after 6 months

Moro reflex (also called the

Startle reflex)
Definition: Baby responds to loud noises,
loss of support, unanticipated touches on the
stomach, etc. by throwing the arms apart,
spreading the fingers, extending the legs,
throwing the head back, and jerking
repeatedly.

 Reason for reflex:

immature nervous system

Temporary reflex:
disappears by 6 months

Grasp reflex (also called

the Palmer reflex)
Definition: The babys hand grasp
is very strong. If a newborn grasps
an adults finger or a bar, he/she
can be lifted off a flat surface.

 Reason for reflex:

survival
Note: This reflex is more vital to survival in
the animal kingdom than it is in humans.
Infant animals must often cling to mother as
she moves about in her habitat.

Temporary reflex:
decreases noticeably after 10
days
disappears completely by 4
months

Stepping reflex (also called

the Walking reflex)
Definition: The baby will walk
when held upright with his/her
bare feet touching a hard surface.

 Reason for reflex:

helps the child practice and learn a
behavior that will be voluntary when
he/she is older

Temporary reflex:
diminishes after 1 week
disappears after 2 months (but
returns in a slightly different form
when the child begins to experiment
with walking)

Placing reflex
Definition: The baby tries to step
upward (stair climbing motion)
when he/she is held with his/her
shin (front of the leg) in contact
with an edge.

 Reason for reflex:

helps the child practice and learn
a behavior that will be voluntary
when he/she is older

Temporary reflex:
diminishes after 1 week
disappears after 2 months (but
returns in a slightly different form
when the child begins to
experiment with walking)

Tonic Neck reflex (also

called the Fencing reflex)
Definition: When placed on his/her
back (recommended sleep position),
the infants head is turned toward the
right or left side and the arm of that
side extends outward. The other arm
extends upward. (It looks like a
swordsmans pose.)

Tonic Neck reflex

Reason for reflex:
survival
This position facilitates breathing by
preventing blockage of the airway.

Temporary reflex:
most obvious at 2 to 3 months
disappears completely at 4
months

Babinski reflex
Definition: The babys toes
extend when the sole of his/her
foot is stimulated (tickled).

 Reason for reflex:

immature nervous system

Temporary reflex:
disappears between 1 and 2 years
of age
The presence of a Babinski's
reflex after age 2 is a sign of
damage to the nerve paths
connecting the spinal cord and the
brain.

Plantar reflex
Definition: This reflex replaces
the Babinski reflex. With this
reflex present, the toes contract
(curl under) when the sole of the
foot is stimulated (tickled).

 Reason for reflex:

survival (It is a clinging reflex
similar to the grasp reflex in the
hands.)
Again, probably more important in
the animal kingdom than in humans.

Permanent reflex, once it

appears