The arrival of a baby means, for a mother, especially during the first months of life, learning to navigate a new, unfamiliar universe, one in which false myths and false beliefs, handed down by mothers and grandmothers, often shape the way we observe and relate to our little one. How many times have you heard, or will you hear, phrases like: «So little, and already taking their first steps!» or «Look how tightly they're gripping my finger, they don't want me to go away!»? These are typical, common expressions, but ones that can't really explain what's «behind» the characteristic movements of a newborn, like the «famous walking» that delights grandma or the «tender grip» on a relative's finger.

If you're curious, dear mothers, let's find out together...

Reflexes: what are they?

Reflexes are the child's first motor experience. They are genuine automatic motor responses that occur in reaction to one or more sensory or motor stimuli. Reflexes govern motor abilities and all the functions that regulate the child's body, including automatic, physiological ones (e.g. breathing, blood pressure). Some primitive reflexes are already present during fetal life, while others appear at birth or in the period immediately following.

What are the main newborn reflexes?

Automatic walking reflex. Present from birth and disappears by the 2nd-3rd month. It appears when the baby is held upright by the trunk, so that the sole of the foot makes good contact with a surface (e.g. table, bed). This posture, besides causing a slight forward tilt of the trunk, produces a straightening of the legs followed by their flexion and extension, thus creating the «walk»: the automatic walking reflex.

Palmar grasp reflex, or grasping reflex. From birth until the 10th month. When you press your finger into the palm of a newborn's hand, they immediately grab hold of it, unable to let go. This reflex movement will later be integrated and put to use in building the more purposeful, intentional hand-to-mouth motor pattern. This is how the child will stop gripping our hand instinctively, and instead grip it with the purpose of bringing something to their mouth with their hand.

Moro reflex. From the 28th week of pregnancy to the 6th-12th month of age. Known as the «embrace reflex»: the baby throws open their arms and extends their legs as if trying to hold on to the adult. It shows up as a sudden startle reaction, triggered by particularly loud, unexpected sounds or noises, or by an abrupt, sudden movement. It's often followed by crying. The Moro reflex is thought to primarily serve as a reaction to a perceived danger or a sudden separation from the mother, in an attempt to keep her close.

Rooting reflex and sucking reflex. The first disappears around the 3rd month, while the second tends to fade around the 8th-9th month and can still be triggered during sleep up until the 24th. Stroking a corner of the newborn's mouth causes them to turn their head toward the stimulus (rooting reflex). Then, with the tongue drawn back, the lips close around the «focus of interest» (e.g. the mother's nipple, a bottle teat, a pacifier). Once the «focus» comes into contact with the palate, sucking is triggered. It's the chaining together of these reflexes, along with the swallowing reflex, that allows the newborn to feed during the first months of life.

Why do reflexes matter?

Because they mark the beginning of a natural, and at the same time complex and intricate, developmental process.

Indeed, over the months, as the child grows, this brings with it numerous changes, which also involve the gradual maturation and integration of newborn reflexes with new skills and experiences. This encourages the emergence of increasingly complex, elaborate motor behaviors aimed at genuine actions, such as grasping a rattle or crawling toward mom. In this sense, reflexes serve as possible signals of healthy or atypical development, and observing and recognizing them can help prevent developmental struggles later on.