Reflexes

Babinski Reflex

- 0-12 months

- stroke lateral aspect of foot

- extension and fanning of toes

Flexor Withdrawal

- 0-2

- sharp quick pressure to sole of foot or palm of hand

- withdrawal of stimulated extremity

Crossed Extension

- 0-2 months

- sharp quick pressure to sole of foot

- withdrawal of stimulated extremity, extension of opposite

Galant/Trunk Incurvation

- 0-2 months

- sharp stroke along paravertebral line from scapula to iliac crest

- lateral flexion toward stimulated side

Moro Reflex

- 0-4 months

- sudden extension of neck

- flexion, abduction or shoulders, extension of elbows, and then extension, abduction of shoulders, flexion of elbows

Primary Standing Reflex

- 1-2 months

- holding infant in standing

- infant supports weight and extends LE's

- 2 months = astasia abasia

- 3 months = back to normal

Primary Walking

- 0-2 months

- hold infant in supported standing, tilt trunk forward slightly

- reciprocal stepping motions in the LE's

Neonatal Neck Righting

- 0-6 months

- turn head when infant is in supine

- body logrolls to same side

Rooting

- 0-3 months

- stroking of perioral region (corner of the mouth)

- head turning to stimulated side with mouth opening

Sucking

- 0-6 months

- touch to lips, tongue, palate

- automatic sucking

Startle

- 0-6 months

- loud noise, sudden light, or cold stimulus

- sudden jerking of whole body or extension and abduction of UE's followed by adduction of shoulders

Tonic Labyrinthine

- 0-6 months

- holding infant in prone or supine

- prone: maximal flexor tone; supine: maximal extensor tone

Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex

- 0-5 months

- rotation of head (using your face or an object to entice the infant)

- extension of face side extremities and flexion of skull side extremities

Palmar Grasp

- 0-4 months

- pressure against palm

- grasping of object

Plantar Grasp

- 0-9 months

- pressure stimulus to sole, or lowering feet to floor

- curling of toes

Placing Reaction

- 0-6 months

- drag dorsum of foot or back of hand against edge of table

- placing of foot or hand onto the table top

Traction/Pull to Sit

- 4-5 months

- pull infant to sit from supine

- UE's will flex, head lag present

- 6 weeks = head control developing

Optical Labyrinthine Righting

- 1 month-the rest of life

- tilt body

- head orients to vertical position

Protective Extension/Parachute Reactions

- downward = 4 months-the rest of life

- forward sitting = 6 months-the rest of life

- sideward sitting = 7 months-the rest of life

- backward sitting = 9 months-the rest of life

- quick displacement of trunk in a downward direction while sitting

- extension of legs in a downward direction and extension of arms in the sitting position to catch weight

Body Righting Reaction on the Head (BOH)

- 4-6 months

- contact of the body with a solid surface

- head righting with respect to gravity

Body Righting Reaction Acting on the Body (BOB)

- 6-8 months-the rest of life

- rotation of head or thorax

- rolling over with rotation between trunk and pelvis

Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

- 6-8 months

- extension of cervical joints or flexion of cervical joints

- extension of UE's and flexion of LE's or flexion of UE's and extension of LE's

Landau Reaction

- 4-18 months

- infant held in ventral suspension

- extension of neck, trunk, and hips

- full landau at 6 months

Tilting Reactions

- prone: 5 months-the rest of life

- supine: 7 months-the rest of life

- sitting: 8 months-the rest of life

- quadruped: 12 months-the rest of life

- slow shifting of base of support or slow displacement of body in space

- lateral flexion of spine toward elevated side of support, abduction of extremities on elevated side, and sometimes trunk rotation toward elevated side