Newborn reflexes are crucial for the survival of a new baby. They provide vital information to parents and pediatricians about the development of a baby’s central nervous system. Among the most common reflexes are sucking reflex, stepping reflex, holding reflex, and rooting reflex. Healthy babies exhibit these reflexes, and parents should consult neonatologists if such reflexes are absent in their young ones.

By definition, newborn reflexes refer to baby’s innate behavior essential for existence. Put differently; newborn reflexes describe automatic responses to stimuli by new babies in the first few months of their lives (Bowers, 2012). Irrespective of the significance of newborn reflexes in babies, experts are unable to explain why certain types of these reflexes exist.

The YouTube video Reflexes in Newborn Babies is very informative and surprising. What surprised memost in the video is watching the demonstration of the startle reflex. When the baby is tapped at the back of its head, it involuntarily flings its arms and opens its eyes as the response to the tap stimuli. As I watched the baby demonstrate its reflexes, I felt pity for it. Seeing how the helpless the baby was, made me feel empathetic and wondered if I was once as defenseless as it was. However, after learning that the reflexes are healthy and would disappear in a few months, I felt happy and optimistic. Newborn reflexes should not get parents worried; they are natural and go when the baby grows older.

At the age of about one-month-old, a baby’s newborn reflexes disappear. According to Bowers (2012), the essence of newborn reflexes is to help the baby survive in its first days during which it is most helpless. As the baby grows beyond one month, its brains and muscles develop, and most reflexes become voluntary, rather than instinctual (Andrews, 2015). Therefore, older babies do not need these reflexes for survival.

It is imperative for doctors to check all the reflexes in newborn babies. According to Andrews (2015), doctors test reflexes to determine if the nervous systems of babies are developing well. Newborn reflexes that continue past four months signify a neurologic concern and parents are advised to seek a pediatrician help (Andrews, 2015). Parents should, therefore, ensure that qualified doctors check all reflexes in their babies.

In conclusion, newborn reflexes are instincts that help a newborn baby to survive. The reflexes disappear after about one month when the baby develops and starts relying on its senses, rather than instincts. Doctors must check all the reflexes to make sure that the baby’s nervous system is growing well.

References

Bowers, E. (2012). Know your baby’s newborn reflexes. Retrieved from https://www.everydayhealth.com/hs/your-developing-baby/newborn-reflexes/

Andrews, J. (2015). Reflexes babies are born with. Retrieved from http://babycarejournals.com/reflexes-in-newborns/

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