Healthy babies are born with certain natural responses, which are called reflexes. You can try to engage your baby’s reflexes, but it is important to trust your pediatrician’s or other trained professional’s results over your own.
If your baby doesn’t have one of these reflexes, or if a reflex isn’t disappearing within a normal timeframe, there could be neurological problems. These problems can lead to other problems in your baby’s development. Be sure to take your baby to his well-baby doctor visits—early detection is the best way to prevent a serious problem with your baby’s health.
- Moro. This reflex is also called the “startle” reflex. It can be triggered if your baby hears a loud noise, or if her head falls to the side unexpectedly. In response, she may spread her arms and legs out widely and stretch her neck. She will then bring her arms and legs back together and cry. This reflex is present at birth and disappears by three to six months.
- Grasp. To produce this reflex, press your finger in your baby’s palm. He will then grasp or grip your finger. If you pull away, the grasp should become stronger. This reflex is also found in his feet. If you gently stroke his feet, his toes will slightly curl. The grasp reflex usually disappears by five to six months.
- Stepping/Walking. When you hold your baby up under her arms support her head, and place her feet on a flat surface, she will appear to be taking steps. This reflex typically disappears by two to three months and will reappear as she learns to walk (around 10 to 15 months).
- Positive Support. When you hold your baby up under his arms, support his head, and bounce his feet on a flat surface, he will straighten his legs for about 20 seconds to support himself before relaxing his legs again. This reflex disappears by two to four months. He will begin to extend his legs more until he can begin to support his body by about six months.
- Tonic Neck. While your baby is lying on his back, turn his head to one side. This should cause the arm and leg on the side he is facing to extend or straighten, and the other arm and leg to bend. This reflex usually disappears by four to nine months.
- Galant. When you stroke your baby’s back to the side of his spine, his back will curve towards the side you are stroking. This reflex usually disappears by four to nine months.
- Rooting. When you gently stroke one of your baby’s cheeks, he will turn his face toward your touch, with his mouth open, ready to suckle. This reflex disappears by three to four months.
Source: Heatherington, E. M. & Parke, R. (1993). Child psychology: A contemporary viewpoint. New York: MacGraw-Hill