Newborn reflexes. Babies are born with a number of reflexes – automatic movements that occur in reaction to something. The Moro reflex happens when your baby is startled, for example, and hunger triggers the rooting reflex. When you put your finger in your baby’s palm, the grasping reflex allows your newborn to instinctively curl their tiny fingers around yours. Other newborn reflexes include the “fencing” (tonic neck) reflex, stepping reflex, and sucking reflex.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- What is the Moro reflex?
- What is the rooting reflex in babies?
- What is the stepping reflex?
- What is the Babinski reflex in babies?
- What are other newborn reflexes?
Your baby’s newborn reflexes – called developmental reflexes or primitive reflexes – are survival instincts triggered by their central nervous system. A reflex can be a spontaneous movement, but it’s usually in response to something – like a sudden sound or movement, or the sensation of something in their hand or on their cheek.
You don’t need to do anything to encourage these movements, but tell your baby’s healthcare provider if your baby doesn’t seem to have one of these reflexes, if they have them on one side of their body but not the other (or not equally strong on both sides), or if a reflex doesn’t go away around the time it’s expected to. These may be signs that something is amiss with a baby’s brain or nervous system.
Most newborn reflexes go away within the first year, but some stick around into adulthood. As adults, we still blink, cough, gag, sneeze, and yawn in response to triggers, like we’ve done since babyhood.
What is the Moro reflex?
A loud noise or sudden movement might cause your baby to arch their back, extend their legs and arms, perhaps cry out, and then pull their arms and legs back in. It can also happen if a baby’s head shifts position quickly, or if their head falls backward (or even if you lay them down a little too quickly). It’s called the Moro or startle reflex, and it’s an involuntary effort to protect themselves.
Even their own cry or sudden movement can surprise a baby enough to trigger the Moro reflex. This reflex can interrupt their sleep – but there are ways to prevent this and stop your baby from startling.
The Moro reflex develops when your baby is still in the womb, at 32 weeks gestation. It peaks during the first month after birth and usually disappears by about 2 months old. Sometimes, startling can continue for three or four months. Some babies continue to startle even longer, but if your baby still has a startle reflex after 6 months, talk to their doctor.
What is the rooting reflex in babies?
You may have experienced your baby rooting for their first meal soon after birth. This reflex helps them find the nipple and begin sucking. Touch your baby’s cheek, lips, or side of their mouth with your nipple (or the bottle nipple, or even a finger) and they’ll turn towards it, mouth open, in anticipation of feeding. They may even begin making sucking motions.
When a baby is rooting, it’s not only cute – it’s also a good sign that they’re hungry.
Babies are born with the rooting reflex, and it lasts until about 4 months old.
What is the stepping reflex?
This surprising reflex is also called the walking or dancing reflex. Hold your baby upright with their feet in contact with a flat surface, and they’ll seem to take steps, slowly extending and flexing one foot after the other. Your baby can’t support their weight, of course, but it sure looks like they’re walking or dancing!
This reflex will disappear around 2 months old. When your baby learns to walk – typically between 9 and 15 months, though some babies don’t walk until 18 months – the movement will be voluntary and no longer a reflex. It’ll involve strength, balance, and a good dose of confidence.
What is the Babinski reflex in babies?
Stroke the bottom of your baby’s foot and they’ll extend their big toe back towards the top of the foot and fan the other toes out. This is called the plantar reflex, or Babinski reflex, named after the French neurologist Joseph Babinski, who first described the reflex in the late nineteenth century.
This reflex lasts until between 12 months and 2 years old. A Babinski reflex in a child older than 2 (or one that shows up in an adult) may be a sign of a central nervous system disorder, such as meningitis, stroke, or neurodegenerative disease.
What are other newborn reflexes?
Grasping (palmar) reflex
Your baby won’t be able to dependably grab things on purpose until about 6 months of age. In the meantime, they have a grasping reflex that shows up in many sweet infant photos.
Put your finger in your baby’s palm, and they’ll curl their little fingers around it. Your baby may even tighten their grip if you try to remove your finger. It’s instinctual for now, and it feels strong, but don’t depend on it. Your baby can let go very suddenly. This is called a palmar reflex, and it’s established by 32 weeks gestation. It lasts until your baby’s about 5 to 6 months old.
Sucking reflex
Touch the roof of your baby’s mouth, and they’ll start to suck – a breast, finger, pacifier, whatever makes its way in there. A hand-to-mouth reflex complements the sucking reflex – which is how a baby may start sucking their own thumb or fingers.
You may have seen ultrasound photos of babies sucking on their fists. This survival reflex starts developing at about 21 to 24 weeks of pregnancy but doesn’t fully develop until about 36 weeks. (This is why some premature babies may not have a strong sucking reflex.) In addition, it takes some coordination to breathe, suck, and swallow, so some babies need a little time to learn to eat efficiently.
Tonic reflex
Once your baby strikes this position, you’ll see why it’s also called the “fencing reflex.” (Doctors call it the asymmetrical tonic neck reflex.) When your baby is lying on their back, if you turn their head to one side, the arm on that side will stretch out while the opposite arm bends at the elbow. Turn your baby’s head to the other side, and the arm on that side will reach while the opposite arm flexes.
This movement can sometimes be subtle, and your baby may not do it if they’re upset or crying.
The tonic reflex develops at about 35 weeks gestation and lasts until a baby is 5 to 7 months old.
Galant (trunk incurvation)
Stroke along the side of your baby’s spine while they’re tummy down, and they’ll twitch their hips toward the side you’re stimulating. An infant will do this for a month or two after birth.
Parachute reflex
Your baby isn’t born with this useful reflex, but they’ll develop it around 8 or 9 months of age and keep it for life. You know how you instinctively extend your arms toward the ground if you trip and fall? That’s your parachute reflex at work. (You’re protecting yourself from the fall, as would a parachute.)
To see whether your older baby has developed this reflex, try this test. Securely hold your baby upright, with their back facing you. Carefully but quickly rotate their body forward, facing downward as if falling. Your baby will extend their arms toward the ground, often with fingers spread wide. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that babies develop this reflex shortly before learning to walk!
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