Birth and the Newborn

Neonatal reflexes

sucking, rooting, grasping, moro

Sucking reflex

an automatic, survival response where an infant begins to suck when the roof of their mouth or lips are touched

Rooting reflex

When you stroke the corner of a baby's mouth or cheek, they turn their head toward that side, open their mouth, and get ready to feed

Grasping reflex

an involuntary survival response where a newborn tightly closes their fingers and grips an object when their palm is stroked

Moro reflex

baby throws their arms outward, fans their fingers, takes a quick breath, and pulls the arms back in, often crying

Behavioral states

regular sleep, irregular sleep, drowsiness, alert inactivity, waking activity

Regular sleep

a quiet, restorative period of non-REM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep

Irregular sleep

• normal part

• nervous system is immature and their internal body clock (circadian rhythm) has not yet formed

Drowsiness

a transitional phase between sleep and wakefulness where the baby's eyes open and close with a heavy-lidded or glazed appearance

Alert inactivity

the baby is calm, awake, and attentive with minimal body movement

Waking activity

pen eyes that may look unfocused, diffuse or vigorous body movements, and sensitivity to internal or external stimuli

Newborn vision

limited, blurry, focused primarily on high-contrast patterns and objects 8 to 12 inches away

Newborn hearing

respond to sounds, recognize familiar voices heard in the womb, and prefer high-pitched human speech

Newborn taste/smell

a well-developed sense, shaped heavily by prenatal experiences in the womb