7 Reflexes to Look Out
for in Your Newborn
These reactions will disappear after
they’ve done their job.
Reflexes are involuntary muscle
reactions that help your baby adjust to life on the outside—and show he’s
developing normally. Rooting and sucking, for example, ensure he gets fed. As
his brain matures, reflexes gradually stop happening—and that’s a good thing,
says David A. Ansel, M.D., clinical assistant professor of
developmental-behavioral pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine.
“You can’t successfully sit up if your whole body twitches every time you flex
your neck.”
If you test a reflex and don’t get
the expected response, that’s okay. Some reactions are harder to prompt.
However, if your baby is missing reflexes and isn’t feeding properly, doesn’t
move one side of her body, or isn’t making eye contact, tell your pediatrician.
1.
Stepping Reflex
Symptoms: Hold your little one under the armpits, support her
head, and touch her soles to a flat surface. She will lift one foot and then
the other, like she is walking or dancing.
How long it lasts: Disappears after 2 months.
2.
Moro (Startle) Reflex
Symptoms: When you clap or make a sudden sound, your baby will
extend his arms and legs, toss back his head, and then pull his limbs back in.
This shows healthy hearing, vision, and wiring of his entire body, says Edmund
F. La Gamma, M.D., chief of newborn medicine at Maria Fareri Children’s
Hospital in Valhalla, New York.
How long it lasts: Disappears between 2 to 6 months.
3.
Sucking Reflex
Symptoms: Touch a nipple, bottle, or clean finger to the roof of
your baby’s mouth, and she will begin to suckle.
How long it lasts: Disappears between 2 to 3 months.
4.
Rooting Reflex
Symptoms: Stroke his cheek or the corner of his mouth, and he’ll
turn his head toward you and open his mouth, “rooting” for a breast or bottle.
How long it lasts: Disappears around 4 months.
5.
Tonic Neck Reflex
Symptoms: When her head turns to one side, her arm on that side
extends and nearly straightens, and her opposite arm bends at the elbow. This
reflex might help her focus on her hand and prepare her for reaching later.
How long it lasts: Disappears between 4 to 5 months.
6. Tongue-Thrust
Reflex
Symptoms: Touch a spoon to his tongue and he’ll push it out.
This reflex may have evolved to protect from choking. A baby won’t eat solids
with this reflex.
How long it lasts: Disappears between 4 to 6 months.
7. Palmar
(Grasp) Reflex
Symptoms: Rub your baby’s palm, and she’ll grab hold of your
finger. Stroke the side of her palm or the back of her hand, and she’ll open
her fingers.
How long it lasts: Disappears between 5 to 6 months.
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