Yahoo Lifestyle Basic instincts - Your baby's reflexes
Put your finger on your baby’s palm and he’ll grip it. Hold your sweetie upright and he’ll move his legs as though he’s walking. You can even place a finger on one side of his cheek and he’ll swivel his head in that direction. Although you may think those actions are clear evidence that your baby is one smart cookie (of course he is!), they’re actually reflexes – or involuntary responses – that infants are born with. But why? “Some reflexes, such as feeding and sucking, are key to survival, but others occur without a whole lot of explanation,” says paediatrician Dr Kirsten Weltmer.
Want to know more? Here’s all the info you need on your child’s awesome auto-responses…
Rooting
The trigger: Your finger (or anything else) brushes against your newborn’s cheek, lip, or the corner of his mouth.
The response: Bub turns his head towards the side you stroked and opens his mouth wide like a baby bird.
Why it happens: This is how infants seek out Mum’s nipple or the bottle when they’re ready to feed.
“The rooting reflex ensures that your baby gets his nutrition,” explains paediatrician and parenting author Dr Tanya Remer Altmann.
How long it lasts: This reflex vanishes at around four months of age, Dr Altmann says. Eventually your little one will be an expert nipple-finder, so he won’t have to root around as much.
The Moro (aka startle) reflex
The trigger: Your baby hears an unfamiliar loud noise (there’s the doorbell or perhaps you drop something), or the position of his head suddenly changes.
The response: Your baby looks surprised and both his arms shoot out to the side, while his hands open wide with his thumbs extended up. He then draws his arms back toward his body while closing
his hands. He usually follows this routine by making a (totally charming) pouty face and crying.
Why it happens: No-one knows for sure, but “one theory suggests that this is an evolutionary response left over from the time when babies had to cling to their mother,” Dr Weltmer says. If an infant slipped out of his mother’s grasp, the startle response might have alerted Mum to quickly grab him. (Yes, before strollers and carriers arrived on the scene, being a mama was even more strenuous!)
How long it lasts: The Moro reflex (named after Ernst Moro, the Austrian paediatrician who discovered it), is in effect at birth and disappears somewhere around two to four months. Some parents mistake it for a seizure, but it’s easy enough to decipher the difference. “The Moro reflex lasts for only a few seconds; a seizure usually continues for a good deal longer,” Dr Altmann explains.
Stepping
The trigger: You hold your bubba upright with his feet resting on your lap, a changing table or any other flat surface.
The response: He’ll lift his feet and place them back down as if he’s walking.
Why it happens: “We’re not positive, but because we walk on our feet, it may be that we have an inborn knowledge of the activity,” says paediatrician Dr Cheryl Wu. Whatever the reason behind his motion, watching your baby do his two-step is fun! And practice sessions won’t hurt your cutie’s legs. “As long as you support his head, it’s okay to let your infant try it,” Dr Altmann assures. Keep your video camera handy!
How long it lasts: Expect this reflex to stick around for two to three months after birth. In about a year, your little guy will be walking for real.
The palmar grasp reflex
The trigger: You lightly place a finger or small object against your baby’s open palm.
The response: He grips it as if he never wants to let go and if you attempt to pull away, he holds on even tighter. How’s that for showing Mummy some love? If you need him to release an object, you
can lightly stroke the side of his palm or the back of his hand.
Why it happens: “This reflex, we think, fosters interaction between parents and infants,” Dr Weltmer says. “It helps to establish a connection and is gratifying for Mum and Dad.” Is there anything better
than holding hands?
How long it lasts: That strong clutch is around from day one and may persist until bub is four to six months old.
The plantar grasp reflex
The trigger: You rub your finger against the sole of your sweetie’s foot.
The response: His little piggies begin to curl around your finger. Cuteness!
Why it happens: Experts aren’t exactly sure why those tiny digits come equipped with a kung-fu grip, but it may be a residual reflex from our primate ancestors, who used their feet to grasp tree branches, says Dr Frank Berenson, a paediatric neurologist. Tickle your little monkey!
How long it lasts: The plantar grasp is present at birth and usually goes away by nine months of age. Don’t be surprised, though, if it lasts up until one year.
The Galant reflex
The trigger: You probably won’t discover this one by accident. “You have to hold your baby on his stomach, face down, and support his head and neck,” Dr Weltmer says. Then stroke either side of his lower back.
The response: Bub swings his bottom toward the side that was stroked, almost as if he’s dancing for you. Watch out, Enrique Iglesias!
Why it happens: The truth is experts have no clue why this reflex exists, but it sure makes a cool party trick.
How long it lasts: Enjoy this newborn skill while you can. The Galant reflex vanishes by four to six months of age.
The parachute reflex
The trigger: You know that Superman game your husband likes to play with
bub, the one that totally freaks you out? That flying-baby stunt is an example of the parachute reflex in action. “It occurs when you hold your child facing downward and suspended over the floor and then you swoosh him down,” explains Dr Berenson.
The response: Your baby extends his arms and spreads his hands as though he’s trying to stop himself from falling.
Why it happens: Your little peanut is protecting himself. “It’s a safety response to prevent him from collapsing right on his face,” Dr Berenson says. The parachute reflex comes in particularly handy when your child starts taking those first Frankenstein-like steps. Spreading his arms helps him stay steady when he’s about to stumble (which, by the way, will be often!).
How long it lasts: It usually appears at six to eight months of age, when infants develop more motor control, Dr Berenson says, and remains with us throughout life because it’s a handy security mechanism. Remember the last time you almost did a face plant? ’Nuff said.
Sucking
The trigger: A dummy or your finger (or even your nose!) touches the roof of your baby’s mouth.
The response: Your little guy closes his lips and begins sucking.
Why it happens: Like the rooting reflex, this one is all about survival and helps your munchkin get his sustenance, Dr Altmann says.
How long it lasts: After about the age of two to three months, sucking is no longer automatic, Dr Wu says, but your baby may still keep it up. “Not only does the sucking reflex ensure that a child is bonding with Mum and able to feed, but it’s also comforting,” she explains. “So some babies rely on a thumb or dummy to soothe themselves after the instinct goes away.”
The tonic neck reflex
The trigger: Your little guy lies down on his back and turns his head to one side.
The response: He straightens one arm out in the direction his head is facing and bends the arm that’s behind him. It looks as if he’s holding a sword and is getting ready to fence. He also looks incredibly adorable while doing it.
Why it happens: This sleeping stance stumps experts, says Dr Berenson, who speculates that it may have a protective role. “The arm that’s up and flexed behind your baby may actually be in that position to
guard his head and face,” he says.
How long it lasts: You can continue to snap photos of your baby’s precious fencing pose until he’s four to six months old, when it disappears.
Tongue thrusting
The trigger: Something out of the ordinary, such as that first bit of rice cereal, touches your angel’s lips or goes into his mouth.
The response: Bub’s tongue thrusts forward automatically, barring the food or object from entering.
Why it happens: “The tongue thrust actually prevents your baby from choking,” Dr Wu explains. It’s also a good indicator that he isn’t quite ready for real food yet. “This reflex has to go away before
a child can start solids,” Dr Wu advises, “otherwise he’d only push the food out of his mouth.”
How long it lasts: Expect this instinct to fade away by the time your littlie is about four to six months old.
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