Reflexes Flashcards
Rooting Reflex
Onset age: 28 wks gestationIntegration age: 3 monthsStimulus: Stroke the corner of the mouth, upper lip, and lower lip.Response: Movement of the tongue, mouth, and/or head towards stimulus. Relevance: Allows searching for and locating feeding source.
Traction Reflex
Onset age: 28 wks gestationIntegration age: 2-5 monthsStimulus: Grasp infant’s forearms and pull-to-sit.Response: Complete flexion of UE.Relevance: Enhances momentary reflexive grasp.
Moro Reflex
Onset: 28 wks gestationIntegration age: 4-6 monthsStimulus: Rapidly drop infant’s head backwards.Response: First, arm extension/abduction, hand opening, then arm flexion and adduction.Relevance: Facilitates ability to depart from dominant flexor posture. Protective response.
Plantar Grasp Reflex
Onset age: 28 wks gestationIntegration age: 9 monthsStimulus: Apply pressure with thumb on the infant’s ball of the foot. Response: Toe flexion.Relevance: Increases tactile input to sole of foot.
Galant Reflex
Onset age: 32 wks gestationIntegration age: 2 monthsStimulus: Hold infant in prone suspension, gently scratch or tap alongside the spine with finger, from shoulder to buttocks.Response: Lateral trunk flexion and wrinkling of the skin on the stimulated side. Relevance: Facilitates lateral trunk movements necessary for trunk stabilization.
Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex
Onset age: 37 wks gestationIntegration age: 4-6 monthsStimulus: Fully rotate infant’s head and hold for 5 seconds.Response: Extension of extremities on the face side, flexion of extremities on the skull side.Relevance: Promotes visual hand regard.
Palmar Grasp Reflex
Onset age: 37 wks gestationIntegration age: 4-6 monthsStimulus: Place examiner’s finger in child’s palm.Response: Finger flexion; reflexive grasp.Relevance: Increases tactile input on the palm of hand.
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex- Supine
Onset age: >37 wks gestationIntegration age: 6 monthsStimulus: Place infant in supine.Response: Increased extensor tone.Relevance: Facilitates total-body extensor tone.
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex- Prone
Onset age: >37 wks gestationIntegration age: 6 monthsStimulus: Place infant in prone.Response: Increased flexor tone.Relevance: Facilitates total-body flexor tone.
Labyrinthine/Optical (head) Righting Reflex
Onset age: birth-2 monthsIntegration: PersistsStimulus: Hold infant suspended vertically and tilt slowly (about 45 degrees) to the side, forward, or backward. Response: Upright positioning of the head. Relevance: Orients head in space; maintains face vertical.
Landau Reflex
Onset age: 3-4 monthsIntegration age: 12-24 monthsStimulus: Hold infant in horizontal prone suspension.Response: Complete extension of head, trunk, and extremities. Relevance: Breaks up flexor dominance; facilitates prone extension.
Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex
Onset age: 4-6 monthsIntegration age: 8-12 monthsStimulus: Place infant in crawling position and extend head.Response: Flexion of hips and knees.Relevance: Breaks up total extensor posture; facilitates static quadruped position.
Neck Righting (NOB) Reflex
Onset age: 4-6 monthsIntegration age: 5 yearsStimulus; Place infant in supine and fully turn head to one side.Response: Log rolling of the entire body to maintain alignment with head.Relevance: Maintains head/body alignment; initiates rolling (first ambulation effort).
Body Righting (BOB) Reflex
Onset age: 4-6 monthsIntegration age: 5 yearsStimulus: Place infant in supine, flex one hip and knee towards the chest and hold briefly. Response: Segmental log rolling of the upper trunk to maintain alignment. Relevance: Facilitates trunk/spinal rotation
Downward Parachute (protective extension downward)
Onset age: 4 monthsIntegration age: PersistsStimulus: Rapidly lower infant towards supporting surface while suspended vertically.Response: Extension of the lower extremities.Relevance: Allows accurate placement of lower extremities in anticipation of a surface.
