The baby undergoes its first crisis after birth. This is because it has to learn to function as an independent organism and not as part of its mother's body. [1]
Theautomatic walk is another reflex that can be observed in a newborn baby by holding him upright and touching the ground with one foot and the other. This will obtain the reflex of bending the leg at the knee and the hip.
Thegrasp reflexes of both the upper and lower limbs can be obtained by placing a finger on the inside of the hand (or by touching the foot). In this way we provoke the toe flexion reflex.
photo: pantherstock
In newborns, we also observe an asymmetrical tonic cervical reflex, which consists in the fact that when turning the head, the newborn straightens the limb towards which the head is turned, while the opposite limb is flexed. The symmetrical tonic cervical ref lex, on the other hand, can already be observed in older children and consists in bending both arms when the head is drawn towards the chest and straightening them when the head is turned back.
In order for the newborn to be able to freely perform these reflexes, it is necessary to have the right muscle tone. Whenever checking a baby's reflexes, remember to ensure the baby's safety and to provide assistance.[2]
