Lifespan: Exam 1 - Infant Reflexes & Development

Reflex: Tonic Labyrinthine - Prone & Supine (TLR)

• Onset: Birth

• Integration: 6 Months

• Elicit: Change of orientation of the head in space

• Response:

  • In prone flexor tone will predominate with arms flexed by the child’s chest

  • In supine extensor tone will predominate

• Importance: Allows baby posture to adapt to that of the head

Reflex: Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ANTR)

• Onset: 0-2 Months

• Integration: 4-6 Months

• Elicit: Rotation of Head

• Response:

  • Arm & Leg on the “jaw” side extends

  • Arm & Leg on the “skill” side flex

• Importance:

  • Assists with early eye-hand regard

  • Provides vestibular stimulation 

  • Changes the distribution of muscle tone

Reflex: Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

• Onset: 4-6 Months

• Integration: 8-12 Months

• Elicit: Flexion and extension of the head (neck) 

• Response: 

  • With neck flexion the upper extremities will flex and the lower extremities will extend

  • With neck extension the upper extremities will extend an the lower extremities will flex.

• Importance:

  • Assist in the development of bilateral patterns of body movement

  • Allows the child to move up against gravity and assume quadruped.

Reflex: Palmer Grasp

• Onset: Birth to 2 months 

• Integration: 4 to 11 months 

• Elicit: Place index finger into infant’s palm with pressure on metacarpal heads 

• Response: Infants fingers will flex around examiner’s finger 

Reflex: Moro

• Onset: Prenatal

• Integration: 5 - 6 Months 

• Elicit: Infant in supine, support head & shoulders, allow head to drip back 20-30 degrees

• Response: Abduction of the upper extremities (including elbows, wrists, and fingers) followed by adduction of the shoulders and flexion of the lbows/ 

Reflex: Rooting 

• Onset: Prenatal 

• Integration: 3 months 

• Elicit: use finger to stroke peri-oral skin at mouth moving laterally towards cheek

• Response: Infant turns head toward stimulus

Reflex: Suck-Swallow

• Onset: prenatal 

• Integration: 2 - 5 Months 

• Elicit: Place finger or nipple in infants mouth 

• Response: Rhythmic suckling with lips, tongue, and jaw moving synchronously.

Reflex: Landau

• Onset: 3- Months

• Integration: 12-24 Months 

• Elicit: Place the infant in a horizontal prone position, supporting their torso. 

• Response: In prone… head, legs & spine extend; if head is flexed, hips, knees & arms flex. 

Reflex: Protective Extension

• Onset: 6-9 Months

  • Parachute is one (6-7 months)

  • Side & Back (closer to 9 months)

• Integration: 12 months

• Elicit: Activated by sudden loss of balance

• Response: The individual automatically extends their limbs to try to soften the landing & prevent injury.

Development: 0-3 Months 

• Eyes can follow/track an object to the right an left sides, past the midline

• Grasp objects placed child’s hands 

• Head lag with pull to sit (head lags behind body when being pulled up into a sitting position

• Turns head to both sides while on back 

• Males sounds back and forth with you 

• Makes sounds that differ depeding on whether they are happy or upset

• Coos, makes sounds like oooooo, ahhh, and mmmmm 

• Turns or looks toward voices or people talking 

Development: 4-6 Months

• Touches fingers together

• Begins reaching with both hands at the same time.

• Touches or bangs an object on a table or hard surface. 

• Reaches for an object with right or left hand.

• Shakes a rattle.

• Uses a raking grasp (all fingers at the same time) to pick up small objects. 

• Raises head in line with trunk when pulled to sit   

• Pushes up on forearms and turns head side to side while on belly   

• Rolls from belly to back

• Brings feet to mouth laying on back   

• Rolls from back to belly  

• Pushes up on hands with arms extended while on belly   

• Giggles and laughs

• Responds to facial expressions

• Vocalizes different vowel sounds—sometimes combined with a consonant—like uuuuuummm, aaaaaaagoo, or daaaaaaaaaa.

• Blows “raspberries.”

Development: 7-9 Months

• Transfers a small object from one hand to the other

• Child uses an inferior pincer grasp (pads of thumb and index finger) to pick up small object 

• Can poke objects with index finger. 

• Bangs two objects together (i.e. two blocks) 

• Claps hands

• Catches self with loss of balance in sitting    

• Crawls on belly   

• Reaches for toys to play in sitting    

• Sits independently    

• Looks at you when you call their name.

• Stops for a moment when you say, “No.”

• Babbles long strings of sounds, like mamamama, upup, or babababa.

Development: 9-12 Months

• Releases an object into an adult’s hand upon request

• Places small objects into a medium or large container.    

• Can turn the cover or single thick pages of a book. 

• Removes or dumps out objects from a container. 

• Is able to point finger at objects. 

• Crawls on hands and knees 

• Cruises around furniture     

• Moves between lying down and sitting upright without help   

• Pulls to a standing position with one foot leading   

• Walks with two hands held (then one)

• Stand independently for a few seconds

• Imitates and initiates gestures for engaging in social interactions and playing games,like blowing kisses or playing peek-a-boo.

• Tries to copy sounds that you make.

• Responds to simple words and phrases like “Go bye-bye” and “Look at Mommy.”

• Says one or two words—like mama, dada, hi, and bye.

What stage of development are infants in (0-12 months)

Sensorimotor stage of cognitive development

Grasp: Crude Ulnar-Palmar Grasp

3-5 Months 

Grasp: Palmar Grasp

5-6 Months 

Grasp: Radial-Palmar Grasp 

6-9 Months 

Grasp: Palmar Grasp

4-6 Months

Grasp: Inferior Pincer Grasp

7-9 months

Grasp: Pincer Grasp

Begins to develop 10-12 months and refines for another 6-12 months

Dexterity, accuracy & strength improve even up to age 5 and beyond