Baby's first umbrella of protection - primitive reflexes

Reflex refers to the regular response of the body to the stimulation of the receptors under the participation of the central nervous system. It is the simplest and most basic neural activity, and it is also the body's involuntary response to stimulation. Among them, the primitive reflex is the innate unconditioned reflex of the newborn, and it is also a transient reflex unique to infants. Its center is located in the spinal cord, medulla oblongata and pons.

What is a primitive reflex? When a mother strokes her baby's cheek with her fingers, he/she will turn to the side being stroked and open his/her upper and lower lips, then seek and bite. This is the baby's instinct - the feeding reflex , and the feeding reflex is to make it easier for the baby to get breast milk. The feeding reflex is one of the primitive reflexes, and this type of reflex is a unique ability of newborns after birth. As the age increases and the central nervous system gradually develops, these reflexes will gradually weaken and disappear.

In addition to the foraging reflex, the primitive reflexes also include: hand grasping reflex, foot grasping reflex, hugging reflex, placing reflex, stepping reflex, mouth opening reflex, upper limb displacement reflex, lateral bending reflex, tonic labyrinthine reflex, asymmetric tonic neck reflex, cross extension reflex, and positive supporting reflex .

What is the significance of primitive reflexes? Numerous primitive reflexes are not only the driving force for babies to be born, but also the basis of various life phenomena in the early stage of human beings, and pave the way for the development of various abilities in the future. Newborn babies look extremely fragile and seem to have little communication with the outside world. In fact, babies have perception after birth, can perceive changes in the world, react instinctively to external conditions, and try to "protect" themselves.

2-6 months after the baby is born, with the development and gradual maturation of the central nervous system, the generalization of nerve excitation gradually develops towards specificity, the primitive reflexes are suppressed, and new movements and motor skills are acquired instead. Most of these primitive reflexes will disappear.

What is the significance of primitive reflexes in rehabilitation treatment? Whether a newborn baby has primitive reflexes reflects whether the baby's nervous system functions normally. In various neonatal examinations, primitive reflexes are also an important indicator for evaluating the baby's physical health and development. However, if the reflexes continue to exist 6 months after the baby is born , it indicates that the central nervous system is not yet mature and has structural defects. When some of the baby's primitive reflexes show asymmetry between the left and right sides, or the frequency and reaction of certain reflex actions are too frequent and intense, these are abnormal conditions and may be related to damage to the baby's brain and central nervous system or certain diseases.

In addition, when the central nervous system is damaged, the damage to the upper motor neurons causes the lower motor center to lose the regulation of the higher motor center, causing the primitive reflexes that had been suppressed and existed when the brain was immature to reappear and become pathological reflexes.

If parents find that their baby's primitive reflexes are missing or delayed or even reappear, it is a sign that the baby's body is abnormal. At this time, they should go to the hospital for evaluation and examination as soon as possible.

The popular science content of this platform has been funded by the China Association for Science and Technology's Science Popularization Department's 2022 National Science Literacy Action Project "National Society Science Popularization Capacity Improvement Project-Rehabilitation Science Popularization Service Capacity Improvement Action Plan"