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Infant Reflexes
Newborn infants perform a number of automatic behaviors called reflexes, most of which develop before birth and disappear within the first year of life. Reflexes are unlearned, involuntary responses to specific stimuli, and they provide information about the condition of the brain and the nervous system. Some infant reflexes serve adaptive functions and are related to survival, whereas others, called primitive or infantile reflexes, have only vestigial meaning. In other words, they may have had protective value at one time in human history, but they have no obvious meaning now. The primitive reflexes are gradually inhibited as the cerebral cortex matures, whereas those that serve a protective purpose do not disappear (Berk, 1997).
Examining infant reflex development, or our early responses to the outside world, is one way to see how individuals influence and are influenced by their environment, an important facet of applied developmental science. All major examinations administered to newborns involve some assessment of reflexes as a means of monitoring development. Weak or abnormal reflex responses may indicate neurological problems, and the timely disappearance of reflexes with only vestigial value indicates the emergence of more advanced brain functions, a sign of normal neurological development (Bornstein & Lamb, 1999).
The adaptive reflexes that remain throughout adulthood include the sneeze reflex, which is elicited when the nasal passages are irritated; the gag reflex, which occurs when the throat or back of the mouth is stimulated; the yawn reflex; the cough reflex (Hait, 2002); and the blink reflex, which protects the eyes from harsh visual stimuli.
Common Primitive Reflexes
Examples of the more common primitive reflexes and the stimuli that produce them follow, beginning with the rooting reflex, the first reflex to appear.
Rooting Reflex
In response to light tactile stimulation of the newborn's cheek, the newborn will turn the head in the direction of the stimulation, open the mouth, and begin to suck. The rooting reflex helps the baby find the nipple of the mother's breast, thereby increasing the proximity of the infant's mouth to the source of food, a clearly adaptive behavior. This reflex becomes visible as early as 2–3 months gestational age and disappears around 1 month after birth (Berk, 1997).
Babinski and Moro Reflexes
A gentle stroke on the side of an infant's foot from heel to toes will elicit the Babinski reflex, which consists of the dorsal flexion of the big toe, extension of the other toes, and an inward twist of the whole foot. The Babinski reflex usually disappears around 12 months after birth and is replaced by plantar flexion of the big toe in a normal adult. Pressure against the infant's palm elicits the palmar or grasp reflex, in which the infant closes the fists on and firmly grasps the stimulating object. This reflex increases during the first month after birth and is gone by 3–4 months. The Moro reflex is the infant's response to a loud sound or loss of head support. As a result of either stimulus, the infant extends arms and legs outward, arches the back and opens the hands, and then proceeds to bring the arms inward and clench the hands into fists. The Moro reflex is usually gone by the fifth postnatal month. The palmar grasp, Babinski toe fanning, and the Moro reflex are all still present in many nonhuman primate infants, enabling those newborns to stay close to their mothers by clinging to body hair (Bornstein & Lamb, 1999).
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