During their first months of life, babies are defenseless and totally dependent on us for their care. However, they are born with a survival instinct that manifests itself through involuntary muscular responses.
These responses, called reflexes, have a very special role, as they help us identify that the baby is developing correctly. We share with you what are the primary reflexes of babies and why they are important .
What are primary reflexes
Primary reflexes, also called primitive or archaic , are a series of involuntary muscular movements with which babies are born, and which respond to certain particular stimuli, such as certain sensations or movements. These are not learned, but happen automatically and innately.
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 baby’s neurological functioning and development . These tests are usually done immediately after birth and again in the days after delivery to check your progress.
In addition to giving us some signals that the baby’s nervous system is working well, these reflexes work as a survival reaction to possible external threats and also help him to get in touch with the new world that now surrounds him.
Many of these primary reflexes 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 that babies should have at birth .
Perioral or searching reflex
If you gently touch the baby’s cheek, he will turn his head to the side where he was touched, opening his mouth to try to suck. It is a reflex related to feeding, as the baby looks for the mother’s breast. It usually goes away within 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 sucking movement is triggered. It usually disappears after four months of life.
Tonic neck reflex or fencing position
When laying the baby on his back and moving his head to the side, the arm on the side toward which the head is facing is extended straight away from the body with the hand partially open, while the opposite arm is flexed and the fist is clenched 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 it go. The newborn is able to support 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 by pressing it with an object. It disappears after nine or ten months.
Babinski or Koch reflex
By touching or stroking the soles of the feet from the heel to the toes, the baby will spread his toes and turn his foot inward. This reflex remains until 12 months, but gradually disappears according to the development and neurological maturation of the baby.
Moro reflex or startle
When the baby is changed positions unexpectedly and quickly, it has the sensation of falling. The first thing he does is open his arms to the sides, so that the parents see him and hoping to hold on to something and avoid falling. Then he brings them back together and then clenches his fists. It disappears between four and six months of life.
Galant’s reflex or bowing of the trunk
With the baby lying on his stomach, when passing the finger over the kidneys, parallel to the spine, the baby’s body arches slightly towards the side that was stimulated.
Crawling reflex
When having the baby lying face down with the legs bent, if we touch the sole of the foot, it stretches the leg and pushes its body forward.
Walk reflex or automatic gait
If we hold the baby under the arms, and put it on a hard surface, as soon as the foot touches the ground and we push it a little, the baby will lift the foot, bending the knee and taking a step forward. It disappears after three months.
Reflection of climbing
Holding the baby under the arms and with the legs dangling, we move him towards the edge of a table until the instep of one of the feet touches it, causing him to bend his knee and climb up to the table. It disappears after three months.
In general, all of them must 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 , such as the first steps.
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