Newborn babies have various reflexes or involuntary movements that are a sign of a normal state of health. Moro or startle baby's reflex It is a reflex present in newborn babies and owes its name to the Austrian pediatrician Ernst Moro, who described it for the first time.
This reflex is usually detected in the first examination of the baby and then in the following consultations it is confirmed that it is still present, until three or four months, when it usually disappears.
The Moro reflex is that the baby extends the arms and quickly opens the hands with the palms up and extending the fingers with the thumbs flexed at the moment in which he feels lack of support (it can happen before a sudden change of position).
The baby is startled (hence the name with which this reflex is also known), tense shoulders and back and open his eyes as scared, can even break into tears. As the reflex ends, the baby retracts the arms towards the body, with the elbows flexed and finally the baby relaxes.
In Babies and moreAutomatic gait reflex: when it seems that the newborn "walks"We can observe the Moro reflex placing the baby on his back on a soft padded surface. Gets up gently from the arms or body to begin removing the body weight of the cushion, without separating it from it.
If the baby is released suddenly (I repeat, it is not separated from the cushion), he feels the lack of support and is startled by reacting with the Moro reflex.
The absence of the Moro reflex in a baby is abnormal and suggests damage to the brain or spinal cord or if it is on only one side there is the possibility of a fractured clavicle or damage of the brachial plexus nerve group.
On the other hand, the persistence of the Moro reflex beyond the fourth or fifth month of age may also indicate severe neurological defects, which is why its existence is still verified in the pediatrician's consultations.
Definitely, Moro or startle reflex in the baby It is one of those primary movements that denote a normal development in the newborn and will usually disappear within a few months.
In Babies and more The first exploration of the newborn: reflexes
