Interesting Facts 

What to do if the child is bothered by a gag reflex when eating. Reflexes of newborns and infants

innate reflexes

They are actively used during home massage sessions with a baby.

Search reflex
Stored up to 3 months. If you stroke the corners of the baby's mouth, he lowers his lips and turns his head towards the stimulus - this way you can stimulate him to turn his head in the direction you want.

With such a violation as torticollis, turning the head is a very useful exercise.

proboscis reflex
If you tap your finger on the upper lip of the child, in response, the muscles will contract, and the lips will fold like a proboscis. By 3-4 months, this reflex will fade away.

If by 4 months the reflex has not faded, you need to see a doctor.

Sucking reflex
This reflex is present in all newborns. The baby immediately after birth takes the breast.

In the presence of pathology, the reflex may be reduced or absent.

Palmar mouth reflex
When pressing on the palm, the child opens his mouth, he can bend to the waist, tilt his neck. By 3 months, the reflex fades.

grasp reflex
Put your finger in the palm of the child - in response, he will squeeze it tightly and may even pull himself up slightly, keeping his body on weight. During sucking, the reflex increases - the baby firmly holds the breast or a bottle of food with its handles.
This reflex does not fade away; by 4-5 months it is replaced by conscious actions: the child grabs toys, fingers of your hands, clings to hair. Then he begins to hold objects and toys, shift them from one hand to another.

If the child does not take toys and does not hold them by 5 months, pay attention to the doctor.

Maybe his muscle tone is reduced, or, conversely, his fists are so clenched that the fingers do not open, and the baby cannot take the toy. In this case, just massage and gymnastics will help.

Robinson reflex
It is close to the grasping reflex. The child clings tightly to the fingers of an adult, it can even be lifted. The good expression of both of the reflexes contributes to the rapid development of muscle strength in the hands.

lower grasp reflex
Press on the front of the sole of the newborn - in response, he will bend his toes. This reflex disappears by 9-11 months, but may persist for up to a year.

Moro reflex
If you turn on a bright light and try to pull the edge of the diaper under the baby's head, he opens the arms, spreads his fingers, then crosses the arms again on his chest. And so it can be repeated several times. The reflex lasts up to 3-4 months, and after 4 months it fades away.

In the presence of pathology, the child can open the handles, and then very slowly return them to their original position.

Reflex Galant
Put the newborn on the tummy and tickle the back along the spine with your finger - in response, the baby will bend in an arc to the side where it will feel irritation, and the leg will straighten from this side. The reflex is well expressed in all healthy newborns and lasts up to 2-3 months.

Perez reflex
Lay the baby face down in your palm. With light pressure, run your finger along the spine from the tailbone to the neck. In response to this, lordosis will occur (a bend in the lumbar region), the arms and legs will straighten, the head will rise. By the end of 3 months, the reflex disappears. If by the end of 1 month of life a child does not raise his head well, lying on his stomach, you can specifically call this reflex - a very useful exercise will turn out. Be sure to keep your head up.

Support reflex
If you take the child under the armpits, holding the head, he will reflexively bend his legs at the hip joints and at the knees. Now put the child on a support, and you will see that he unbends his legs and firmly, with his whole foot, rests on the surface of the table.

If the child reacts differently, a doctor should be consulted.

For example, you put the child on a support, and he bends his legs or puts one and bends the other. Or puts both legs, but not on the whole foot, but on the toes, while the heels are raised. Another option is to cross the legs. All this can mean a decrease or, conversely, an increase in muscle tone, and another pathology is possible. The reflex, if not stimulated, fades away by 1.5-2 months.

Automatic gait reflex
Taking the child under the armpits, put him on a support. With a slight tilt of the body forward, the child begins to make stepping movements. Children are very fond of “walking”, raising their legs high; rearranging them, they step over objects. This is a very useful exercise: when the child begins to walk on his own, he will not “shuffle” with his feet, cling to obstacles - he will step over them. If this reflex is not maintained, it will fade by 2 months. But if you start to deal with the child, he will be reborn.

In children with encephalopathy, the reflex may be reduced or completely absent.

Bauer's crawling reflex
A newborn baby, laid on his tummy, tends to crawl forward. If you put your hands on his feet and press lightly on them, the child will start to push off and “crawl”. By 3-4 months, this reflex fades. But, if stimulated, then by 5 months or a little later, the child will begin to crawl on his own. Crawling is a very important stage in the development of the baby. During crawling, the tones of the flexor and extensor muscles are balanced, the muscles of the arms, legs and back are trained.

defensive reflex
The child, laid on his stomach, turns his head to the side. Therefore, do not be afraid to lay a healthy newborn on the stomach. Moreover, laying out on the stomach is good for the muscles of the back, neck, and abdomen.

TONIC REFLEXES - the baby's muscular reactions to a particular position.

labyrinth tonic reflex
In a child lying on his back, the tone of the extensor muscles of the back and the front surface of the legs increases. At the same time, the child lies freely, the arms and legs are straightened.
Lying on his stomach, the baby bends his neck, tilts his head; arms and legs are bent under the tummy. The reflex can last up to 4-5 months. After 4-5 months, lying on his stomach, the baby plays, pulls the handles to the toys, tries to crawl; while his legs are straightened.

Cervical tonic symmetrical reflex
When lowering the head to the chest, the tone of the flexor muscles of the front surface increases - the arms are straightened, and the legs are bent at the knees. The reflex lasts up to 3-4 months. If you take the child with one hand under the muscles and put it on a support with your back to you, and throw your head back a little, then he will actively move - straighten his legs.

Cervical tonic asymmetric reflex
If the child lies on his back, then the arm to which he turns his head straightens, and the other arm bends at the elbow. By 2-3 months this reflex disappears.

If there is no reflex, see a doctor.

Reflex rotations of the head, pelvis and torso
If you take the baby's legs and try to turn him from his back to his stomach, the newborn will turn over with his whole body at once. And after 4 months, the turns will take place in three stages. First, the baby turns the head, then the torso, and only then the pelvis. If the baby first turns the pelvis, then after that he brings one leg behind the other, then turns the body and, finally, the head.

If after 4-5 months the child cannot turn, it is necessary to help - to carry out massage and gymnastics.

ACQUIRED REFLEXES

Labyrinth-installation reflex
This is the first reflex that develops at 2 months of age. The child begins to raise his head, lying on his stomach, and hold it. The muscles of the neck gradually strengthen, the baby gets used to holding his head: it is more convenient for him to play with toys and crawl. And in order for the reflex to develop, the child must be turned on his stomach from birth, supporting his head, then the neck muscles will get stronger earlier. At first, the baby will raise his head and immediately drop it, but very soon he will learn to hold it longer.

Installation neck chain asymmetric reflex
Plastunsky crawling is a very important stage. The child independently makes movements with the whole body, arms, legs, while the muscle tone is normalized, large muscles develop, the tones of the flexor and extensor muscles are balanced.
Getting up on all fours. First, the arms are strengthened, a sense of balance develops. Then the child begins to move on all fours, getting acquainted with his room, apartment, and “at the same time” training coordination and unloading the spine.
Sitting down from all fours. The child can sway for a long time, standing on all fours, and suddenly bends one leg and sits on the thigh and buttocks. At first, in order to maintain balance, he rests with his palm, and raises the other hand up, thereby coordinating the position of the body.

If the installation neck chain asymmetric reflex develops correctly, the child, after learning to sit down, will immediately try to get up, clinging to the support with his hands.

Landau reflex (floating on the stomach)
Put your palms under the baby's tummy and lift it up: it will raise its head and legs - as if it is floating in the air. This exercise is called soaring. If the baby does not raise his legs and head, then the muscles of the neck, back and gluteal muscles are weak and need to be strengthened. The reflex is present in children aged 4-8 months.

Peiper's reflex (hovering on the side)
Lay the child sideways in the palm of your hand and lift. In this case, the child's head will turn to the other side, and the legs will straighten.

If a child of 4-5 months does not perform these movements, contact a specialist.

Please note that some children may be afraid of soaring, so at first lift the child low and very gently. And before that, tell him what you are going to do. Do not hesitate, even the smallest child will understand you and will not be afraid.
Thus, the vestibular apparatus is trained.

plantar reflex
It is caused by dashed skin irritation along the outer edge of the sole from top to bottom. At the same time, the toes of the foot are bent in the baby. In children under 1 year - 1 year 5 months, in response to the hatching of the sole, the fingers do not bend, but fan-shaped dilution and extension.

(from the book by Egorovry V.V. "Baby massage and baby gymnastics from birth to a year")

As soon as a calf and a deer are born, they immediately jump to their feet, and the newborn monkey clings to the mother's fur with its fingers and hangs on it, like on a liana. Their actions are guided by the genetic memory of a biological species, into which innate newborn reflexes. The human cub also has them, and they are very different.

All mothers know that in the first months of life, the baby knows how to swim and dive - it holds its breath and closes its eyes when water gets on its face. He does this solely thanks to innate reflexes, which fade away if they are not supported. You will work with the crumbs in the bath to develop this skill, and it will be fixed for life. But there are also such innate reactions that fade away by a certain date - it is impossible to save them, and it is not necessary. A child who has left infancy does not need a sucking reflex - so it disappears in the second year. According to the strength and severity of congenital reflexes of newborns, as well as whether they cease to exist in time, giving way to more complex motor reactions, a pediatrician and a neurologist can say a lot about the state of the nervous system and the prospects for the development of the baby. And they took them into service, developing gymnastics for the smallest. By evoking certain reflexes in the right sequence, experts force the baby to work with muscles - after all, you can’t explain to him what to do, but thanks to innate motor reactions, everything happens by itself.

Exercises for newborns

Put your thumbs in the palms of the baby lying on the back. Holding on to them, he tenses a little, raises his head, bends his arms, tears off his shoulders from the swaddle, as if trying to sit down (just don’t need to put him on for now). A healthy full-term baby can do this exercise from 2-4 weeks.

Sucking reflex

The so-called reflexes of oral (oral) automatism, which are carried out on the lowest floor of the subcortex - at the level of the brain stem, are responsible for ensuring that the child is always full.
It is worth giving a mother a breast to a baby, and he automatically makes sucking movements. The baby generally sucks everything that gets into the mouth, whether it's a pacifier, a finger, a toy, the edge of a diaper. What to pay attention to. Rhythmic sucking soothes the baby. For him, this is both hard work (when you have to get milk from his mother's breasts) and pleasure (when he sucks on a pacifier). It is very important that the baby satisfy his need to suck (and this is easiest to do when breastfeeding). If he was not sucked to his heart's content in infancy, they can form - from sucking a finger and hair to biting nails.

When it fades
Weakens after 12 months, and finally disappears by 1.5 years. True, the baby will make sucking movements in a dream even at an older age, especially if he sleeps sweetly and deeply.

Search reflex

To call it, it is enough to touch the dummy to the cheek on the side of the baby's mouth (without touching the lips). The corner of his mouth will immediately drop, the baby will turn his head towards the irritant. And if you press the nipple a little on the middle of the lower lip, the child will open his mouth, fold it with his proboscis and slightly bend his neck - he will try to grab the pacifier. These reactions are especially pronounced before feeding, when the baby is hungry. Have you noticed: before taking the nipple more firmly, does the baby shake its head a little? Over time, this gesture will acquire a semantic coloring - it will accompany the reproachful "ay-ay-ay!" or a resounding "no!" The basis for such a conversation in body language will be precisely the search neonatal reflex. With its help, the baby gradually masters facial expressions, and in particular learns to smile. What to pay attention to. The grimaces of the crumbs, when the doctor or mommy cause a search reflex, should be the same (symmetrical) on both sides. If this is not the case, the baby needs to be shown to a pediatric neurologist: if one half of the face reacts differently than the other, birth trauma and inflammation of the facial nerve must be excluded. When it fades After 3-4 months, the need for a search reflex disappears: the baby already reacts not to the touch of the nipple to the lips, but to its appearance - he notices that mommy is picking up a pacifier or preparing to feed, and opens her mouth.

Wean your baby two or three times during feeding (just be careful not to upset or anger him). You see - he is again looking for a nipple, reaching for it! This is very useful for the development of facial muscles and the formation of the speech apparatus.

proboscis reflex

A quick and light touch of a mother's finger or a pacifier to the baby's lips makes the baby fold them with a proboscis. This reaction is a constant element of sucking movements. It is even sung about her in a song: “Sponges with a bow, eyebrows with a house ...” What to look for. Pediatric neurologists have such a concept - “mouth attention”. This is when the baby of the first months of life carefully peers into the face of the mother bending over him and seems to be trying to copy her facial expressions. And first of all, the mouth comes into motion. This is where the proboscis comes to the rescue neonatal reflex helping the baby fold the lips with a touching bow.

When it fades
After 2-3 months. If the reflex persists longer, show the baby to a pediatric neurologist!

Palmar mouth reflex

Lay the child on the back, take his hand in yours and lightly press your thumb into the center of the palm, first from one side and then from the other side. The baby opens its mouth and bows its head. What to pay attention to. Did the child suffer from oxygen starvation while in the mother's tummy, or during childbirth? Got a birth injury? Were you born weak? If in the first days the palmar-oral reflex in newborns- this is a good sign: the nervous system is perfectly recovering after the tests! What to pay attention to. The reflex is not called from any one side? The reason is the weakness of the muscles of the arm (paresis). Be sure to tell your pediatrician and pediatric neurologist about this!

When it fades
Ideally, by 3 months. The palmar-mouth reflex should give way to voluntary hand-mouth reactions, which are very important for the baby, and are formed on its basis. First, the baby pulls a toy into his mouth, opening it wide (it is important for the baby to recognize the object not only by touch, but also by taste), and then he brings cookies and a spoonful of porridge to it. If this reflex intensifies over time and occurs even at the slightest touch to the children's hands, it means that not everything is in order with the nervous system of the crumbs. Observation and treatment by a neurologist will help prevent the formation of cerebral palsy.

What can a newborn do?

Crawling, standing and even walking - all this is obtained by the newborn by itself, without the slightest effort. The set of movements performed in the first months of life is the same, and even more than that, it is strictly mandatory for all babies and is programmed at the level of the spinal cord. Over time, these reactions disappear so that the child can develop the appropriate skills on his own - once and for all his life.

defensive reflex

Put the baby on the tummy - he turns his head to the side. Without this automatic reaction, the child would simply suffocate, burying his face in the pillow!

What to pay attention to. If the nervous system of the baby is not mature enough or suffered during childbirth, the protective reflex may be absent. Then mommy will have to turn the baby's head herself, laying it on her tummy, and constantly monitor this in the first months. The other extreme, associated with an overreaction, is also alarming: the child not only turns his face away, but also throws back his head, holding it in this position for quite a long time. This indicates an increase in the tone of the muscles of the neck and back. For what reason it is so strengthened - the children's neurologist should understand! When it fades
Completely - by 3 months, and weakens when the baby is one month old.

Crawl reflex

They put the newborn on the tummy, and he tries to crawl in a plastunsky way. Mom put her hand to the children's feet - the baby began to push off from them with his legs, crawled even more actively. What a little partisan! What to pay attention to. If the movements on one side are not as active as on the other, most likely the child has problems with tone. In babies who have suffered oxygen starvation (asphyxia) or birth trauma, the reflex may be absent. Such a baby needs special neurological treatment, and when a month old - massage and gymnastics. True, even healthy babies refuse to crawl in the first 3-4 days of life. It's quite normal. But if the corresponding movements did not appear later, it is necessary to show the child to a specialist.

When it fades
At 4 months.

Fitball for a newborn

Put the child on the back and firmly press your palms or an inflatable ball to his feet - the baby will push off the obstacle, strengthening the muscles of his legs.

Support and automatic gait reflex

Take the baby under the armpits (face to you), creating support for his head with your fingers (on both sides). Hold vertically on weight - he will tighten his legs. Now put it down on the changing table. The baby will stand, fully loading the foot. Check - the fingers are not tight, the legs are slightly bent. Slightly tilt his torso forward, and the baby will take a few steps. Ideally, the legs should not cross, but if this still happens in the lower third of the legs, do not worry - this option is also acceptable for a newborn. What to pay attention to. If reflex in a newborn absent, one of two things - either the baby has weak muscles, or the nervous system has suffered. Does the baby walk on straight legs, crossing them high? Relies not on the entire foot, but only on its edge, tightens the fingers? Tell the neurologist about it!

When it fades
At 1-1.5 months. After that, the baby's legs give way by themselves when mommy tries to put him on the swaddle. Only closer to the year the child will again learn to stand, and then walk.

grasp reflex

You put your fingers in the hands of the baby, and he grabs them so tightly that he can even hang in your arms if you slightly lift him up. Monkeys clinging to their mother's hair do the same. Here is a visible confirmation of Darwin's evolutionary theory! Moreover, a grasping reflex can also be evoked on the soles. You just need to slightly press your thumb on the ball of the foot - and the fingers will immediately bend. And if you quickly and abruptly draw the blunt end of the pencil along the sole of the crumbs, they will disperse like a fan (Babinsky's reflex).

What to pay attention to?
If the grasping is very active, then the baby is too excitable. Is the capture weak and not always called? The nervous system is inhibited, depressed. In both cases, it is imperative to consult the child with a neurologist.

When it fades
Babinsky's reflex - a year, grasping - in 3-4 months. After all, he should be replaced by arbitrary grasping: the baby saw the toy, reached out and took it.

Fingers fanned out

Gently lay the baby on the back, take his legs from below by the heels, holding them between the index and middle fingers, as if in a slingshot. Stroke the edges of the feet with your thumbs - in response, he will turn them outward and fan out his fingers. Press gently on the pads of the feet at the base of the toes - the baby will immediately squeeze them. This exercise can serve as an excellent prevention of flat feet!

Moro reflex

If you dropped the bottle on the changing table next to the baby or lifted it too sharply by the legs when changing the diaper, the baby gets scared - spreads the handles to the sides and opens
palms, and then folds her fists again and presses them to her chest.

What to pay attention to?
Mom should be interested in whether the child spreads her arms evenly. If one lags behind the other, then the tone let us down. It is bad when there is no reflex in the first days after birth - this indicates a birth trauma. Does the baby spread his arms every minute when you change his clothes, at the slightest noise and even for no reason at all? The nervous system is overexcited - consult a specialist!

When it fades At 4-5 months.

Reflex Talent

Put the baby on the tummy and slide the tip of your index finger to the left of the spine (departing from it no more than 1 cm) from top to bottom. The baby will arch the back in the opposite direction. Now do the same on the right.

What do you need to pay attention to? The reaction should be the same on both sides. It is called from the 5-6th day of life. If reflex in newborns weakened or absent during the first month, show the child to a neurologist.

When it fades At 3-4 months.

We develop a beautiful posture.

Call the Talent reflex in turn to the left and right of the spine several times in a row to strengthen the muscles of the back - this will help the baby develop a beautiful posture in the future.

Perez reflex

Be warned: Toddlers really don't like this exploration! In order not to disturb the baby once again, let the neurologist check the Perez reflex. He will run his finger along the spine from the bottom up, slightly pressing on the spinous processes that are palpable under the skin. In response to such an appeal, the child will scream in protest, raise his head, straighten his body, and bend his arms and legs. It's obvious that he's uncomfortable! But now both mommy and the doctor can be calm for the baby - his reaction is good, muscle tone is uniform, everything is in order with the spinal cord.

What to pay attention to? The absence, inhibition or too long preservation of this reflex indicates damage to the central nervous system.

When it fades At 3-4 months.

The constant spewing of gastric contents by the baby at the sight of food or after eating it can alert even the most experienced parents. Doctors define this phenomenon as an increased gag reflex in a child. For the first time, mothers can observe it during the introduction of the first complementary foods and in preschool children. Sometimes the problem is not resolved until an older age. Chewing and swallowing food is difficult for such children, and if they are scolded for this, later nausea arises from one type of food.

Why does the baby vomit after feeding?

One of the most common reasons for spitting up food is overfeeding the baby. Vomiting opens unexpectedly and does not pose a threat to health.

Sometimes newborns develop pyloric stenosis, a pathology in which food masses cannot enter the intestinal tract from the stomach. Boys are predominantly affected by the disease. They gain weight poorly and suffer from constipation. The gag reflex to food is triggered almost every time they try to feed.

In the first months after birth, some babies vomit due to poor absorption of food components, often lactose or fructose. This factor provokes irritation of the stomach and the release of masses that have entered it.
If the baby sucks mother's milk too quickly and captures a lot of air, vomit from his digestive tract may expire due to aerophagy - "eating air". If vomiting opens directly during meals, it signals the development of gastrointestinal diseases.

When a child is in a hurry when feeding or swallows poorly chewed food in small pieces, food lumps create heaviness in the stomach. If the baby does not know how to control vomiting, undigested food inevitably breaks out.

But the occurrence of vomiting after eating is not always associated with gastrointestinal problems. Experts explain it with different moments in the life of a child:

  • stress;
  • acetonemia;
  • prolonged crying;
  • teething;
  • debilitating cough;
  • diseases of the brain, bronchi or lungs;
  • mucus flow down the nasopharynx with a cold;
  • drug treatment.

First aid for vomiting

Regardless of which factor provoked vomiting, the child always needs help. Repeated responses of the reflex are dangerous due to dehydration of the body, loss of salts and a violation of the baby's condition, up to loss of consciousness and falling into a coma. Therefore, even a single episode of vomiting deserves the attention of parents.

If the child suffers from an increased gag reflex and spews masses at every opportunity, during an attack, the mother should perform the following actions:

  1. calm the baby and change clothes, help rinse the mouth and moisten the face with a napkin;
  2. allow the baby to take a comfortable position, and when you try to snatch it again, turn his head to one side, not allowing the masses to clog the airways;
  3. in case of poisoning with low-quality food, rinse the stomach by letting the child drink a glass of soda solution (0.5 tsp of soda per 1 liter of water). Next, you should press on the root of the tongue and induce vomiting artificially. In an unconscious state, children are not washed.

If attacks occur more than 1 time in 3 hours, you need to call the ambulance service.

How to deal with the gag reflex

To restore the water and electrolyte balance, disturbed by frequent vomiting, the child is given plenty of fluids. Water is given in a slightly warm form. Compotes, juices and soda are contraindicated in this case. If the baby refuses water, it is allowed to replace it with a decoction of wild rose, chamomile, St. John's wort or sweetened tea.

Children under the age of 1 year after each vomiting should be given about 70 ml of fluid. For babies older than a year, the dosage is increased to 100 - 150 ml. Forcibly crumbs should not be watered. To understand that he is progressing dehydration, signs such as:

  1. lethargy;
  2. dry skin;
  3. irritability;
  4. sinking of the fontanel;
  5. drying of the mucous membrane of the lips;
  6. lack of urination for 3-4 hours.

It is better not to insist on taking any food at this time. A day or two, the child needs to be drunk with liquid, giving him 2 tsp each. water every 5-10 minutes. As the well-being improves, the crumbs are offered half a cup of decoction, water or tea.

  • up to 1 year: from 130 to 200 ml;
  • from 1 to 5 years: 100 - 170 ml;
  • from 6 to 10 years: 75 - 110 ml.

From medicines for taming vomiting, children are given Regidron, Glucosolan, Atoxil. If the reflex has developed on a nervous basis, the condition is corrected with tablets of the nootropic drug Pantocalcin or its analogue - Pantogam syrup. Liquid medicine is convenient to give to infants, but its side effects in the form of angioedema, conjunctivitis and urticaria can be dangerous for the smallest.

If the release of vomit occurs against the background of fever and diarrhea, you should immediately call a doctor. A small amount of gastric contents can be collected in a vessel and transferred to a laboratory study.

innate reflexes- a gift of nature, necessary for the baby to survive outside the mother's body, which help the newborn in adapting to life in the world around him.

Even in the maternity hospital, immediately after the birth of the baby, the neonatologist checks congenital reflexes and evaluates the development of the nervous system. If physiological reflexes are well developed and muscle tone is normal, then the child is fine.

A healthy baby at birth should have a complete set of physiological reflexes, which disappear by 3-4 months.

Pathology is their absence, as well as a delay in their reverse development.

It is unacceptable to stimulate the reflexes of the newborn, especially the automatic walking reflex.

Basic unconditioned reflexes of newborns

1 Breathing reflex

The first, immediately after birth, the respiratory reflex is activated - the baby's lungs open and he takes his first independent breath.

2. Sucking reflex

The sucking reflex occurs in a newborn in response to irritation of the oral cavity, when the lips and tongue of the newborn are touched. For example, when putting a nipple, nipple, finger into the mouth, rhythmic sucking movements appear.

The sucking reflex is present in all healthy newborns and is a reflection of the child's maturity. After feeding, this reflex largely fades away and after half an hour or an hour it begins to revive again. The reflex persists during the first year of life. The sucking reflex is reduced or even disappears if any of the cranial nerves involved in the act of sucking is damaged. Sucking calms the baby. If he did not suck in infancy, then at an older age, he may begin to suck on the tips of his hair or fingers, bite his nails, which will require the intervention of a psychotherapist or neuropathologist.

3. Swallowing reflex If something gets into the baby's mouth, then he swallows. The first days the child learns to coordinate respiratory movements with swallowing.

4. Gag reflex. The reflex causes the child to push any solid objects out of the mouth with the tongue. The gag reflex appears immediately after birth. The reflex prevents the child from choking. This reflex fades closer to 6 months. It is the gag reflex that explains why it is so difficult for a baby up to 6 months to swallow solid food.

5. Search (search) Kussmaul reflex

The reflex should be called carefully, without causing pain to the newborn.

Stroking with a finger in the region of the corner of the mouth (without touching the lips) causes the newborn to lower the corner of the mouth and lips, lick the mouth and turn the head in the direction from which the stroke is performed.

Pressing on the middle of the upper lip causes a reflex lifting of the upper lip up and extension of the head.

Touching the middle of the lower lip causes the lip to drop, the mouth opens, and the baby's head produces a flexion motion.

With pain irritation, only the head turns in the opposite direction.

The search reflex helps the baby find the nipple and is well expressed before feeding.

Normally, it is caused in all newborns and should completely disappear by 3 months of age. Then there is a reaction to a visual stimulus, the child comes to life at the sight of a bottle of milk, when the mother prepares the breast for feeding.

The search reflex is the basis for the formation of many mimic (expressive) movements: shaking the head, smiling.

The search reflex is absent or reduced, asymmetrical in newborns with damage to the facial nerve. In the presence of cerebral pathology in newborns, the reflex may be delayed and does not disappear by 3 months of age

1 - palmar-oral;
2 - proboscis;
3 - search;
4 - sucking

6. Proboscis reflex (oral Escherich's reflex)

It is called by a quick light touch with a finger, nipple or hammer on the upper lip of the child - in response, the mimic muscles of the newborn are reduced - the lips are stretched in the form of a proboscis.

Normally, the proboscis reflex is detected in all healthy newborns, and gradually fades away by the age of three months. Preservation of its proboscis reflex in children older than three months of age is a sign of a possible pathology of the brain and is observed in children with damage to the nervous system.

7. Babkin palmar-oral reflex

When pressing the thumb on the palm of the newborn, the baby turns his head and opens his mouth.

The reflex is normal in all newborns, it is more pronounced before feeding. After two months, this reflex decreases, and by three it disappears completely.

Sluggishness of the reflex is observed with damage to the central nervous system (CNS), especially with a birth injury of the cervical spinal cord.

The rapid formation of the reflex and its extinction up to 3 months is a prognostically favorable sign in children who have undergone birth trauma.

The palmar-mouth reflex may be absent with peripheral paresis of the hand on the side of the lesion. In case of damage to the central nervous system in a child older than 2 months, the reflex does not tend to fade, but, on the contrary, intensifies and occurs even with light touching of the palms of passive hands.

8. Upper grasping reflex (Yanishevsky)

In response to a dashed touch on the palm of the newborn, the fingers are bent and the object is grasped into a fist.

In a normal infant, the grasping reflex is well evoked. Before feeding and during meals, the grasping reflex is much more pronounced.

The reflex is physiological up to 3-4 months, later, on the basis of the grasping reflex, voluntary grasping of objects is gradually formed.

In inhibited children, the reaction is also weakened, in excitable children, on the contrary, it is strengthened.

A decrease in the grasping reflex is observed in children born in asphyxia. And also the reflex is weakened on the affected side of the cervical spinal cord. With paresis of the hands, the reflex is weakened or absent. The presence of a reflex after 4-5 months indicates damage to the nervous system.

9. Robinson suspension reflex

In response to stroking the palmar side of the hand, flexion of the fingers and grasping of the object occur. Sometimes, when this reflex is evoked, the child holds an object or a finger so tightly that such a clinging child can be lifted up by the fingers - this phase of the reflex is called the Robinson reflex. Thus, it turns out that a newborn, outwardly seeming to be a completely helpless creature, can develop in his hands such a “muscular strength” that keeps his own body in limbo.

By 3-4 months, this unconditioned reflex is transformed into a conditioned one - the child begins to grab toys purposefully. A good expression of the grasping reflex and the Robinson reflex contributes to the rapid development of the conditioned reflex and thus to the development of muscle strength in the hands and contributes to the more rapid development of fine manual skill.

10. Lower grasping reflex (plantar, Babinski reflex)

Called by pressing the thumb on the sole at the base of II-III toes. The child produces plantar flexion of the toes (presses the fingers to the foot)

Pressing the ball of the foot with the thumb causes plantar flexion of the toes.

In healthy children, this reflex persists up to 12-14 months of life.

The absence of the lower grasping reflex occurs when the spinal cord is damaged at the lumbar level.

11. Babinsky's reflex.

If the sole is stroked along the outer edge of the foot in the direction from the heel to the toes, then there is a dorsal extension of the big toe and a fan-shaped divergence of the II-V fingers.

Most doctors now consider the Babinski reflex to be normal for the first year of life and that its presence is not a sign of pathology, and with age it will pass. They explain that this is due to the insufficient development of the cerebral cortex and, accordingly, the system of the central motor neuron in early childhood, and that this reflex is now very common.

We want to warn parents.

Healthy newborns should NOT have a Babinski reflex.

The Babinski reflex is pathological from the first days of a child's life and is a subtle sign of the pathology of the pyramidal tracts, and the frequency of its detection is not proof of its physiology, but proof of the frequency of neurological disorders in newborns. Especially if this reflex is spontaneous from birth (that is, it does not need to be called, it appeared on its own)

12. Arshavsky's heel reflex

When pressing on the calcaneus, the child causes a cry or grimaces of crying.

Their absence, reduced severity or asymmetry may indicate damage to the nervous system.

13. Moro's embrace reflex

It is called by various methods: if you suddenly clap with both hands on both sides on the surface on which the child lies, at a distance of 15 cm from his head (do not beat with all his might!), Then the newborn takes his hands to the sides and opens his fists - I phase of the reflex Moreau. After a few seconds, the hands return to their original position (fetal position) - phase II of the Moro reflex.

A similar movement in the hands occurs with passive sudden stretching (extension) of the legs of a newborn, lifting the unbent legs and pelvis of the baby above the bed, with pressure on the hips.

The reflex is expressed immediately after birth. In all healthy newborns, the Moro reflex is always symmetrical (the same) in both hands and is expressed until the 4-5th month, then it begins to fade; after the 5th month, only some of its components can be observed.

With flaccid paresis of the arm, the reflex decreases or is completely absent on the side of the lesion, which indicates that the spinal cord in the cervical region was injured during childbirth. In children with intracranial trauma, the reflex may be absent in the first days of life. With pronounced hypertension, there is an incomplete Moro reflex: the newborn only slightly abducts his hands.

In each case, the threshold of the Moro reflex should be determined - low or high. In infants with CNS lesions, the Moro reflex is delayed for a long time, has a low threshold, often occurs spontaneously with anxiety, various manipulations. If the reflex manifests itself when trying to change the child's clothes or for no reason, then it should be shown to a neurologist.

14. Galant reflex

The child is laid face down, his breast on his palm. Supporting on weight (when the baby calms down and hangs his head, arms and legs completely), they run a finger along the spine (at a distance of 1 cm from it) on the right side - the baby will arch and press the right leg. The reflex is also checked on the left side.

The Galant reflex is well evoked from the 5th - 6th day of life. Normally, the reflex lasts up to 2-4 months, disappears after 6 months.

The response from both sides should be the same.

In children with damage to the nervous system, it may be weakened or completely absent during the 1st month of life. When the spinal cord is damaged, the reflex is absent for a long time. With damage to the nervous system, this reaction can be observed in the second half of the year and later.


1. Galant reflex
2. Peres reflex
3.Moro's embrace reflex

15. Perez reflex

The child is laid face down, his breast on his palm. Supporting on weight (when the baby calms down and hangs his head, arms and legs completely) with slight pressure, they run a finger along the spinous processes of the child's spine from the coccyx to the neck.

This is unpleasant for the baby, in response, the child has a breath holding followed by a cry. His spine bends, his pelvis and head rise, his arms and legs bend, there is a short-term general increase in muscle tone, and sometimes there is loss of urine and defecation.

Normally, the Peres reflex is well expressed during the first month of a newborn's life, gradually weakens and completely disappears by the end of the 3rd - 4th month of life.

The persistence of the reflex older than 3 months should be considered a pathological sign. In newborns with a birth injury of the cervical spinal cord, there is no lifting of the head, that is, the Perez reflex turns out to be “headless”. Inhibition of the reflex during the neonatal period and a delay in its reverse development is observed in children with damage to the central nervous system.

16. Reflex support

If you take a newborn under the armpits, then he reflexively bends his legs at the hip and knee joints. At the same time, if he is placed against a support, he unbends his legs and firmly rests his entire foot on the surface of the table and so “stands” for up to 10 seconds.

Normally, the support reflex is constant, well expressed and gradually disappears by 4-6 weeks of age.

With an injury to the nervous system, the child can lean on his toes, sometimes even with legs crossed, which indicates a lesion of the motor (pyramidal) pathway that runs from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord.

In newborns with intracranial injury, born in asphyxia, in the first weeks of life, the support reaction is often depressed or absent. In hereditary neuromuscular diseases, the support reaction is absent due to severe muscle hypotension.

1.protective reflex;
2. crawling reflex (Bauer);
3.support reflex and automatic gait;
4. grasping reflex;
5. Robinson's reflex.

17. Automatic walking reflex, or stepping reflex

When relying on the feet during a slight tilt of the child's body forward, the newborn makes stepping movements.

This reflex is normally well evoked in all newborns and disappears by 2 months of age.

Alarming signs are the absence of an automatic walking reflex or walking on tiptoe with legs crossed.

In newborns with intracranial injury, born in asphyxia, in the first weeks of life, the reaction of automatic gait is often depressed or absent. In hereditary neuromuscular diseases, automatic gait is absent due to severe muscle hypotension. In children with CNS damage, automatic gait is delayed for a long time.

18. Bauer crawling reflex

A hand is attached to the feet of a newborn, laid on his stomach. We lightly press on the soles of the baby with our hand - in response, the child reflexively pushes off her feet and performs crawling movements.

The crawling reflex is normally caused in all newborns. Crawling movements in newborns become pronounced on the 3rd-4th day of life and lasts up to 4 months, and then fades away. Pay attention to the asymmetry of the reflex.

The reflex is depressed or absent in children born in asphyxia, as well as in intracranial hemorrhages, spinal cord injuries. In diseases of the central nervous system, crawling movements persist for up to 6-12 months.

19. Protective reflexes

but) Upper defensive reflex. If the newborn is placed on his stomach, then a reflex turn of the head to the side occurs and he tries to raise it, as if providing himself with the opportunity to breathe.

The protective reflex in healthy newborns is constantly expressed from the first day of life, and after a month and a half the child tries to hold his head on his own. In children with CNS damage, the protective reflex may be absent. The decrease or disappearance of this reflex can be either with a particularly severe lesion of the upper cervical segments of the spinal cord, or with a pathology of the brain. And, if you do not passively turn the child's head to the side, he may suffocate. In children with cerebral palsy, with an increase in extensor tone, a prolonged rise of the head and even tipping it back is observed.

b) "Duck" reflex. When a jet of water or air hits the nose, the newborn holds his breath.

c) Pupillary reflex. Bright light will cause pupil constriction

d) Blinking reflex If you blow into the baby's face, he will screw up his eyes.

20. Foot withdrawal reflex

In the position of the newborn on his back, when his lower limbs are relaxed, a needle prick is alternately applied to each sole. There is a simultaneous flexion of the hips, shins and feet.

The reflex must be called equally on both sides (symmetrical).

The reflex can be weakened in children born in the breech presentation, with hereditary and congenital neuromuscular diseases, myelodysplasia. A decrease in the reflex is often observed with paresis of the legs. The absence of a reflex indicates damage to the lower parts of the child's spinal cord.

21. Cross reflex of extensors.

In the position of the newborn on the back, we unbend one leg and inflict an injection in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe sole - in response, the extension and slight adduction of the other leg occur.

In the absence of a reflex, pathology of the lumbar thickening of the spinal cord can be assumed.

22. Neck-tonic reflexes or postural reflexes

Types of postural reflexes of a newborn baby
Asymmetric cervical tonic reflex (Magnus-Klein)

It manifests itself when the child's head is passively turned to the side. There is an extension of the arms and legs on the side to which the child's face is turned, and the bending of the opposite. The hand to which the baby's face is turned straightens. At this moment, the tone of the extensors of the shoulder, forearm, and hand increases - the pose of the "swordsman", and in the muscles of the arm, to which the back of the head is facing, the tone of the flexors increases.

Symmetrical tonic neck reflexes

With passive flexion of the head of a newborn child, the muscle tone of the flexors in the arms and extensors in the legs increases. At the same time, when the baby unbends his head, the opposite effect appears - the arms unbend and the legs bend.

Asymmetric and symmetrical neck reflexes of the newborn are constantly expressed in newborns.
In premature babies, they are poorly expressed.

labyrinth tonic reflex

In the position of the child lying on his stomach, the tone in the flexor muscles increases: the head is bent towards the chest or thrown back, the back is arched, the arms are bent and also brought to the chest, the hands are clenched into fists, the legs are bent in all joints and brought to the stomach. After some time, this posture is replaced by swimming movements, which turn into a spontaneous crawling reflex.

Landau reflex

Give the child a "swimmer position" - lift the baby into the air so that his face looks down, and he will immediately raise his head, and then straighten (or even arch) his back, and also straighten his legs and arms - swallow, from 6 months to one and a half years

1. asymmetric cervical topical Magnus-Klein reflex;
2. symmetrical neck tonic reflexes;
3.tonic labyrinth reflexes;
4. Landau reflex.

These reflexes normally disappear in the first 2-3 months. So, as the unconditioned and cervico-tonic reflexes fade, the child begins to hold his head, sit, stand, walk and carry out other voluntary movements. A delay in the regression of tonic reflexes (over 4 months) indicates damage to the central nervous system of the newborn. The remaining tonic reflexes impede the further development of the child's movements, the formation of fine motor skills.

In recent years, there has been talk of swimming reflex in a newborn, which lies in the fact that the baby will flounder and not drown if it is lowered into the water. This reflex can only be tested in the presence of an instructor in the neonatal pool.

Problems with reflexes are the first symptoms of the pathology of the central nervous system. If you are alerted by any deviations from the norm, then do not hesitate to consult a doctor. A re-examination must necessarily take place after the appointed time - it may vary depending on the alleged nature of the pathology - from several days to a month, which will help to eliminate the suspicions or, if necessary, to conduct timely treatment. Remember that the child changes every day, and the manifestation of reflexes depends on a number of conditions (satiety, fatigue, and many others). It is very important to check innate reflexes in dynamics. Timely treatment is the key to the health of the child in the future.

Today we continue the conversation about the psychomotor development of the child, begun in previous issues of the journal1. At the age of 4-6 months, the child's conditioned reflex sphere continues to develop rapidly, complex behavioral stereotypes are formed. Naturally, all parents are primarily interested in the question of whether their baby is developing correctly, whether they have missed something very important. I would like to warn you right away: the older the child, the more individual the pace of his development. It can be stated with certainty that a healthy newborn infant has, say, a sucking reflex or an automatic support reflex 2, while the absence of these reflexes in him indicates trouble. But if one baby learned to sit on his own at 6 months, and the other at 7, this does not mean at all that the first is an “excellent student”, and the second is a “loser”, it’s just that every person, even such a tiny one, has his own pace of life. It is for this reason that we are going to talk not so much about the skills of the child, but about the general trends in the psychomotor development of 4-6-month-old children.

Alexey Mitrakov
Children's NeurologistCenter for Psychological, Medical and Social Support for Children and Adolescents in Moscow

If you don't learn, you won't learn!

Surely many of you paid attention: with a light touch of the nipple (or nipple, or just a finger) to the corner of your newborn baby's mouth, he turned his head, opened his lips, tried to get the nipple with his mouth. Doctors call this behavior the search reflex. However, if your child is more than 3-4 months old, this automatism has already disappeared. Do not rush to get upset: it may seem strange to someone, but proper development involves fading many reflexes . First of all, this has to do with oral (i.e., associated with the mouth opening, and therefore with the process of eating) and spinal (spinal) reflexes.

Oral reflexes disappear in the following order(Child's age is approximate):

  • 3 months - search reflex;
  • 4.5 months - proboscis reflex (if a newborn gently taps a finger on the upper lip, the lips fold into a “proboscis”), sucking reflex and the so-called Babkin's hand-mouth reflex (when pressing on the palm, the newborn opens his mouth).

Approximate "schedule" of the disappearance of spinal reflexes:

  • 2-3 months - Galant reflex (when the skin of the back along the spine is irritated - to the left or to the right of it - the baby describes an arc with the body that is open towards the stimulus; the leg on the side of the stimulus unbends in all joints);
  • 3 months - Perez reflex (Checking this reflex, the doctor, with light pressure, runs a fingertip across the skin directly above the spinous processes of the baby's spine - usually in response to this, the child unbends the torso, bends his arms and legs, raises his head and cries) and Moro reflex (fright response);
  • 4.5 months - crawling reflex ;
  • 5.5 months - grasping reflex .

Tired of lying!

Instead of oral and spinal reflexes, the child develops rectifier reactions . The fact is that at four to six months, the baby begins to master the great skill that distinguishes a person from a non-human - the skill of upright walking (the reactions “responsible” for this are called anti-gravitational). Yes, yes, do not be surprised - your baby begins active preparation for his first steps right now. Schematizing, we can say that at about four months, an active reorientation of the central nervous system (as well as all other systems) of the child from a horizontal to a vertical position begins. So, for example, up to about 6 months, the so-called cervical rectifying response . It is expressed in the fact that when the head is turned, the entire body turns after it. And at the age of 6-8 months. it is replaced by a more complex automatism - straightening reflex of the body . Now, turning his head to the side, the baby turns in the same direction not the entire body at once, but gradually - first the shoulder girdle, then the pelvis. Thanks to this rotation of the body, rolls from the stomach to the back, from the back to the side and to the stomach, and in the long term - the position on all fours become possible (see Fig. photo 1) and finally the vertical pose.

And two more important reflexes - a protective reaction of the hands and the Landau reflex, not related to straightening reflexes, greatly contribute to motor development. Protective extensor reaction of the hands occurs at about four months and is expressed in the response movement of the arms with a sudden movement of the body forward. Thanks to the appearance and development of this reaction, by about six months, the child in a sitting position can support body weight with his hands. At the same time, the hands are initially clenched into a fist, but later the baby can already lean on the palm (see Fig. photo 3).

Landau reflex appears at five or six months. If the child is held freely in the air face down, then at first he raises his head, then straightens and even arches his back, unbends his arms and legs.

The world has become more interesting

Remember what your baby was like in the first days and even weeks after birth? Movements are chaotic and spontaneous, what we used to call coordination of movements in everyday life is completely absent. The fact is that in a newborn, the connections between the cerebral cortex, the brain stem and the spinal cord stem have not yet been coordinated. At four to six months, the process of this coordination enters an intensive stage - the child, as already mentioned, strives to move to a vertical position, which means that the space around him begins to change. A significant expansion of the field of view entails the need to form complex unconditioned reflex oculomotor reactions responsible for the reaction of the eyes to incoming stimuli - visual, auditory. At four months, a person, as a rule, can already not only wave the rattle aimlessly, but also purposefully put it in his mouth. The nerve centers that provide such reactions are located in the brain stem, their formation began a long time ago (remember the search reflex). However, it is precisely in the initial period of the child's transition from a horizontal spatial representation to a vertical one that these reactions acquire an expanded character, accompanied by a turn of the head towards the stimulus, not only tactile, but also visual and/or auditory. Such movements require developed connections between the oculomotor centers and the centers located in the cervical region of the spinal cord, which are responsible for the movements of the cervical muscles.

The cerebral cortex is developing intensively. To the greatest extent, this process affects the frontal lobe. In turn, this leads to an expansion of emotional reactions, the emergence of new behavioral shades. The time has come when we can talk not only about conditioned and unconditioned reflexes, but also about the formation of higher mental functions - for example, memory. The mechanisms of short-term and long-term memory are fixed, the child remembers not only the faces of his parents, but also the faces of acquaintances and others. The first elementary emotional “skills” are beginning to form, which are fully reflected on the little man’s face: joy, laughter, surprise, discontent (look at the charming smile of Tanyusha Efremova on photo 3, 4). The child gradually "separates" from the mother, becoming an increasingly independent being.

Not a day without ... talking!

Given all of the above, I would like to give a few recommendations for caring for a child of 4-6 months:

1. In no case should the child be restricted in movements, he should feel comfortable, have freedom of movement.

2. Six months is the time for the next visit to a neurologist, who will certainly pay attention to the state of the child's reflex sphere.

3. The active phase of the child's wakefulness is becoming more and more, which means that he begins to demand more and more attention to himself, he needs more and more verbal contact with his parents. Do not deprive him of this pleasure: no matter how you have no time, give him 5-10 minutes, talk to him, even if he does not understand the meaning of your words. The transition from unintelligible sounds to individual words largely depends on how intensively these “classes” will take place.

4. It is very useful to hang toys of bright colors next to the baby's crib that attract attention. He will definitely be interested in a new object in his field of vision, he will be interested - and he will want to reach out to him. In general, it is useful to constantly bring into the environment of the child unusual objects, sounds (see photo 2). This will contribute to his motor and speech development.

5. In no case should you forget about the daily routine. There is an active restructuring of the whole organism of the little man, including his brain (the system of blood vessels) - in this difficult period, the baby needs good nutrition and sleep more than ever.

6. Already at this age, a rather complex emotional organization makes the child look for behavioral stereotypes. Therefore, it is especially important to create a calm psychological environment for the baby. You need to forget about quarrels, petty domestic troubles. The psychological climate in the family should be with a plus sign, otherwise the child will grow up neurasthenic, capricious, whiny.

7. Throughout this period, one should be attentive not only to the neuropsychic development of the child, but also to his somatic status. In the body, nothing exists separately, and therefore the answer to any pathology on the part of the internal organs will be dysfunction on the part of the nervous system. If the slightest deviation is detected, its immediate correction (if necessary, and medication) should be started.
Perhaps these are all the recommendations that can be given in relation to this period. Health to you and your child!