Mom and dad will put their fingers into the baby’s mouth, he will naturally suck; mom and dad put their hands into the baby’s palm, the baby will immediately hold …… many mom and dad are touched by this “love language” of the baby, in fact, that is just the baby’s primitive reflex. Isn’t it surprising? 8 kinds of baby’s original reflexes do you understand? 1, the cute 100% milk-seeking reflex When the mother touches the baby’s cheek, lips or mouth corner with her fingertips, the baby will open her mouth and turn her face to the side being touched; if she touches her upper lip, the baby’s head will tilt back; if she touches her lower lip, her chin will press down, trying to find the source of the touch, these reactions are the milk-seeking reflex. When the baby is hungry, the milk-seeking reflex will be quite obvious; when the baby is full or sleepy, the milk-seeking reflex will not be obvious. Disappearance time: As babies grow up, the breast-seeking reflex will gradually disappear, especially when they are awake, and will disappear completely around 6 months of age. When an object touches the corner of the baby’s mouth, he will immediately try to find the source of the object and make the sucking action. However, when the baby grows up to 3~4 months old, he will realize that when he is hungry, he will be fed by crying, so he will slowly change his behavior to express his needs, so the breast-finding reflex will slowly disappear. In fact, when the fetus is in the mother’s tummy, the mouth starts to move in order to practice the sucking ability in order to be able to suck the milk immediately after birth. After birth, if the mother puts her finger into the baby’s mouth, he will naturally suck, and also often suck his own hand, or even directly suck what touches his lips. If the baby has good sucking ability, the ability to take in enough nutrients will not be a problem. Time to disappear: The sucking reflex does not disappear, but becomes a self-controlled ability as it grows and progresses from the sucking to the chewing stage. Significance of the action: The newborn’s chewing function is not yet fully developed and the only way to ingest breast milk or formula is through the sucking action. The sucking reflex and the milk-seeking reflex are complementary reflexes that enable the baby to find the nipple and suck on it, plus the swallowing reflex, so that the baby can drink milk smoothly and get enough nutrition. 3, warm 100% grasping reflex When an object touches the baby’s palm, the baby will immediately hold the object tightly; if it stimulates the palm of the foot, the toes will immediately go down and the palm of the foot will be tightened (foot reflex). Many mothers will be moved by the baby’s performance of such “reluctance”, which is actually a primitive reflex. Disappearance time: grasping reflex usually disappears gradually at 2-3 months old, while the baby starts to learn to grasp, grip, pinch and other fine motor use, sometimes it will last until 5-6 months old; foot reflex can last until the baby is 10 months old. The action shows the significance: this belongs to the primate genealogy, from the instinct of self-protection. This reflex action will disappear slowly when the baby is older. Through cognitive learning, the baby will slowly master the use of palm and foot grasp and grasp, such as holding the pen tightly when writing, and putting the pen down when not writing. If the baby’s grasping reflex disappears completely and then reappears, or if this reflex appears only unilaterally, there may be neuropathy. 4, delicious 100% swallowing reflex Swallowing amniotic fluid is a swallowing reflex that the baby will show in the fetal period, its function will slowly mature over time, in the near choking into the trachea, the body will also appear cough reflex or vomiting reflex to protect. After birth, your baby’s gag reflex is already sound, but occasionally he or she may have a coughing reflex or even a slight vomiting reflex due to overflowing or too rapid feeding, which are normal. Disappearance time: The gag reflex does not disappear, and the whole oral movement of your little one will develop with the action of whistling, sucking and swallowing, thus making milk drinking smoother. 5.Hug 100% of the Monroe’s reflex The mother uses one hand to support the baby’s shoulders, the other hand to lift his head 15 degrees, and then suddenly let the baby’s head gently drop down, then you will see the baby’s two arms will first straighten and abduct, palms also open, the crest and trunk also straight; then the arms bend into a hug, palms also clenched fist, the whole person like a big jump look, often accompanied by crying. This is the “Monroe’s reflex (or hug reflex)”. Sometimes when there is a sudden loud sound or shock, the baby will also have a similar reaction, known as the “startle reflex”. Usually the first 8 weeks after birth is the period when the startle reflex is strongest in babies. Disappearance time: It usually disappears after 3~4 months of age. Significance of the action: The Monroe’s reflex allows you to observe the infant’s nerve conduction pathways and the normal function of both hands. Some infants may have a brachial plexus injury that makes the reflex response appear only unilaterally; reflex movements that are too frequent and violent or disappear soon after birth require suspicion of possible neuropathy; and Monroe’s reflexes that are still evident beyond 6 months of age should be carefully examined and evaluated. When even louder sounds do not scare the baby …… If even sudden loud sounds do not scare the baby, in addition to suspecting neuropathy, the mother must also pay attention to whether the baby has a hearing problem. For babies with hearing loss, sound stimulation is less likely to cause a startle reflex. According to statistics, the incidence of congenital severe to very severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears is about 1 in 1,000, and the incidence of mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss in both ears or one ear is up to 3 in 1,000, which is not a low rate. Hearing defects are not easy to detect, and when they are found, they often affect the baby’s language and other aspects of development. Parents may wish to allow newborns to receive hearing screening after birth, in order to early detection of abnormalities early treatment, so as not to make hearing deficient children miss the golden age of language learning. 6, strong 100% of the traction reflex baby lying flat, hold the baby’s hands, and pull upward, at this time, the baby’s neck first backward, then will force to the front of the lift, hands and feet will automatically bend, it looks as if they want to hold themselves up. Disappearance time: The head and neck can move more independently after 3 months, and it is less likely to fall over. Action shows the significance: this test is used to assess the baby’s muscle tone condition, the baby will be born using this reflex to stabilize the posture and position of the head, until about 3 months can really rely on their own strength to lift the head. 7, the magical 100% step (walk) reflex and step (retracted) reflex holding the baby’s armpits, so that the baby to maintain a standing posture and let the feet on the ground, when the soles of his feet hit a hard object, will naturally make alternate step forward action, this series of responses is the step reflex. If a hard obstacle is placed in front of him, when the back of the baby’s foot touches the obstacle, he will lift his foot and step on it as if he wants to take a step. In fact, babies will not walk until they are about 1 year old! Disappearance time: Usually becomes less obvious after the baby is 8 months old. The meaning of the action: infants will have this reaction because the palms and backs of the feet receive stimulation, stimulation through the nerve conduction to the crestal medulla, triggering a reflex, so that the hip and knee bend, resulting in stepping and walking or let the foot lift to step on the action of the obstacle. Premature babies also have this reflex, but often with the toes on the ground, and full-term children with the whole foot or heel on the ground “walking” action is different. 8, handsome 100% asymmetrical neck tension reflex Turn the head of a baby lying on its back to one side, its ipsilateral arms and legs will be straight, while the opposite side will be bent, as if “pulling a bow and shooting an arrow” action. However, Dr. Shao Hong reminded that this reflex is not always present at birth, so it is best for the mother to wait until the baby is about 1 month old and then try again. Disappearance time: It usually disappears when the baby is 6-7 months old. Significance of the movement: Some scholars believe that this reflex appears during fetal life and helps maturation of fetal muscle tone and can even help with birth; in the weeks after birth, this reflex prevents the newborn from rolling over and reflects the baby’s initial hand-eye coordination. Normally, this reflex is not always triggered by every examination, but if it is evident with every operation, it should be considered an abnormal response; babies whose reflexes have not disappeared after a long time will often suffer later in life with movements that require hand-eye coordination (such as writing, balancing, movement, etc.).