Describe The Importance Of Reflexes In Children

During infancy, a baby will have four main reflexes; the movements made in reflexes are inborn and automatically without thinking to help protect the baby and/or help it feed, learn and develop. These reflexes are rooting, grasp, walking and Moro reflexes and most if not all new-borns have them.

Rooting reflex is when you touch the baby’s cheek and their head will move in that direction, their mouths opened wide, this ensures successful breast feasting. They do this, hungry or not as a reflex. The rooting reflex is strong for the first 3-4 months, but normally disappears by their first birthday.

The grasping reflex, sometimes called the palmers grasping reflex, is when your baby with grasp onto your finger, hair and jewellery for example. Their grasp is very strong, and is a natural reflex that they hold onto for about 3-4 months. The baby can not control this, they may drop stuff unexpectedly.
If you were to hold your baby, under the armpits and then put their feet on a flat surface, the baby will make walking or stepping movements. This reflex, walking and stepping, will be present for the first 8 weeks. Another reflex on the sole of the foot is 'Babinski reflex ' where if you stroke the sole from heel to toes, the baby would turn up their toes and turn their foot inwards as a response. This reflex is present for the first 2 years.

The Moro reflex is when the baby reacts to sudden stimulation, such as sudden sound or movement. They will have a startled face and throw their arms out to their sides, their fingers fanned out in an embrace position, they may even cry. As the reflex ends, the baby 's arms will return to a relaxed state and the baby will