Primary reflexes of babies: what they are and why they are important

During their first months of life, babies are helpless and totally depend on us for their care. However, they are born with a survival instinct that manifests itself through involuntary muscle responses.

These responses, called reflexes, have a very special role, as they help us identify that the baby is developing correctly. We share you what are the primary reflexes of babies and why they are important.

What are the primary reflexes?

The primary reflexes, also called primitives or archaic, are a series of involuntary muscle movements with which babies are born, and that respond to certain stimuli in particular, such as some sensations or movements. These are not learned, but happen automatically and innate.

In newborns, certain tests are performed to verify the presence of these primary reflexes, as well as the intensity with which they are performed, as they are important signs of the functioning and neurological development of the baby. Typically, these tests are performed immediately after birth and again in the days after delivery to check their evolution.

In Babies and more The first exploration of the newborn: reflexes

In addition to giving us some signs that the functioning of the baby's nervous system works well, these reflexes they function as a survival reaction to possible external threats and also help you get in touch with the new world that now surrounds you.

Many of these primary reflexes they disappear as the baby grows, although some do remain until adulthood. In the case of reflexes that do not disappear at the age they normally do, they could be an indicator of some problem or damage to the brain or nervous system.

What are the primary reflexes of babies

Now that we know what they are for and why they are important, we share the primary reflexes babies should have at birth.

Perioral or search reflex

If you gently touch the baby's cheek, he will turn his head to the side where they touched him, opening his mouth to try to suck. It is a reflex related to feeding, because the baby looks for the mother's breast. It usually disappears after two months.

Suction reflex

This is another reflex related to feeding, because when you bring a finger or an object to the baby's lips, a rhythmic movement of sucking is triggered. It usually disappears after four months of life.

Tonic neck reflex or fencing position

By laying the baby on his back and moving his head to the side, the arm from the side to which the head is oriented extends straight and away from the body with the hand partially open, while the opposite arm flexes and the fist clenches strongly. If we turn the head to the other side, the position is reversed. It disappears after four months.

Palmar pressure reflex

This is one of the best known: if you put a finger in the palm of the baby's hand, he closes his hand, with such force that you can lift it without letting go. The newborn is able to withstand its own suspended weight for seconds in the air. It usually disappears after five months of life.

Plantar pressure reflex

Similar to palmar pressure, this reflex consists of closing the toes when the baby's thumb is stimulated when pressed with an object. It disappears at nine or ten months.

In Babies and more The reflection of plantar grip

Babinski or Koch reflex

By touching or stroking the soles of the feet from the heel to the toes, the baby will open the fingers and turn his foot inwards. This reflex remains until 12 months, but gradually disappears according to the development and neurological maturation of the baby.

Moro or startle reflex

When the baby is changed unexpectedly and quickly, he feels he is falling. The first thing he does is open his arms to the sides, for parents to see him and hoping to grab something and avoid falling. Then put them back together and then clench your fists. It disappears between four and six months of life.

Galant reflex or trunk incursion

Having the baby lying on his stomach, as he swipes his finger over the kidneys, parallel to the spine, his body arches slightly to the side that was stimulated.

Cracking reflex

When you have the baby lying on your stomach with your legs bent, if we touch the sole of your foot, stretch your leg and push your body forward.

Reflection of walk or automatic gear

If we keep the baby held under the arms, and place it on a hard surface, as soon as we touch the ground with the foot and push it a little, the baby will lift the foot, flexing the knee and taking a step forward. It disappears after three months.

In Babies and moreAutomatic gait reflex: when it seems that the newborn "walks"

Climbing Reflection

Holding the baby under the arms and with the legs hanging, we approach it towards the edge of a table until the instep of one of the feet touches it, which will cause it to flex the knee and rise to the table. It disappears after three months.

In general, all of them should occur in full-term babies (in the case of premature babies the case is different). Eventually they disappear, but as we can see, some primary reflexes are the precursors of important milestones in the development of the baby, as the first steps.

Photos | iStock, Pexels, Unsplash

Video: Neonatal reflexes. Behavior. MCAT. Khan Academy (March 2024).