A group of reflexes involuntary, automatic movements in reaction to particular stimuli or events that are normally found only in newborns and that disappear in the first few months. Among them are the grasp reflex, tonic neck reflex, moro’s reflex (startle reflex), walking (or Stepping) reflex, and rooting reflex. In at least some children with cerebral palsy, such sensorimotor reactions are retained and can interfere with the ability to learn voluntary control of movement.
Involuntary muscular responses to sensory stimuli seen in infants. Primitive reflexes govern the infant’s movements and disappear as the baby’s neurological system matures. Physical examination of newborn babies includes the attempt to elicit various reflexes, because the absence of normal primitive reflexes can indicate neurological disorders.
An involuntary motion triggered by a stimulus, observed in newborn infants but fading away within the initial months following birth. Primitive reflexes are thought to reflect actions that held significance for survival during earlier phases of human evolution.
Among the primitive reflexes are the grasp reflex, activated when an object is placed in the baby’s hand, and the rooting reflex, facilitating a baby’s ability to locate the nipple.
Primitive reflexes are examined shortly after birth to provide insight into the state of an infant’s nervous system. If these reflexes persist beyond the anticipated developmental stage, it could indicate a potential disorder in the maturing brain.