Developmental Reflexes

Question 1

Describe rooting reflex

Answer 1

Onset: 28 weeks
Integration: 3 months
Position: supine, sitting with head in midline
Stimulus: stroke mouth or lip
Response: Mouth movement toward stimulus
Relevance: feeding

Question 2

Describe moro reflex

Answer 2

Onset: 28 weeks fingers, 48 complete
Integration: 5-6 months
Position: supine head in midline
Stimulus: drop infant head backward 30 degrees
Response: phase arm extension, abduction and hand opening then arm flexion and adduction
Relevance: Helps break up the physiological flexion seen in newborns

Question 3

Describe the plantar grasp reflex

Answer 3

Onset: 28 weeks
Integration: 9 months
Position: supine, head midline
Stimulus: pressure to ball of infants foot
Response: toe flexion
Relevance: phylogenic memory of animals clinging to mothers

Question 4

Describe the Palmar grasp reflex

Answer 4

Onset: 37 weeks
Integration: 4-6 months
Position: Supine head in midline
Stimulus: index finger in palm
Response: Flexion and adduction catching and then holding of finger
Relevance: Enhance grasp

Question 5

Describe the stepping reflex

Answer 5

Onset: 37 weeks
Integration: 2 months
Position: Hold infant under the arms
Stimulus: Incline infant forward
Response: Automatic stepping
Relevance: spontaneous stepping

Question 6

Describe the ATNR (Asymmetrical tonic neck reflex)

Answer 6

Onset: 37 weeks
Integration: 4-6 months
Position: Supine
Stimulus: head turns via stimulus
Response: Ipsilateral extremity extension, contralateral extremity flexion
Relevance: Promotes visual regard for the hand

Question 7

Describe the Landau reflex

Answer 7

Onset: 3-4 months
Integration: 12-24 months
Position: Horizontal prone suspension
Stimulus: Hold in horizontal prone
Response: Complete extension of the head, trunk and extremities
Relevance: breaks up flexor dominance and facilitates prone extension

Question 8

Describe protection extension forward

Answer 8

Onset: 6-7 months
Integration: persists
Position: sitting
Stimulus: tip infant forward
Response: extension of both UE, hand opening and neck extension to break fall
Relevance: UE weight bearing, reach and grasp, protection from a fall

Question 9

Describe protective extension sideways

Answer 9

Onset: 7-8 months
Integration: Persists
Position: Sitting
Stimulus: Tip infant sideways
Response: extension and adduction of arm to side
Relevance: support for unilateral arm use, fall protection