If you are wondering “what are innate reflexes and which primitive reflexes exist?”, then we have summarized everything you need to know here. Primitive reflexes are essential for a baby's survival, as they unconsciously facilitate food intake and self-protection. Below, we briefly cover all the important baby reflexes and provide interesting background information on this topic. In doing so, we explain a few scientific terms and describe the occurrence and purpose of primitive reflexes using examples. This information is intended to give you a quick overview, but it should in no way replace a medical examination (e.g., as part of the newborn check-up with the pediatrician (U2) between the third and tenth day of life).
The graphic below provides a clear overview table of baby reflexes and the age in months by which they disappear.
Photo © Paul & Lori: How long do innate reflexes last?
To examine the Babkin reflex, a doctor presses both of the baby's palms with their thumbs at the same time. The reflex reaction is that the mouth opens. Therefore, do not put your fingers in your baby’s palms while breastfeeding or feeding, as the Babkin reflex could otherwise be triggered.
How long does the Babkin reflex last? The Babkin reflex disappears by approx. the 10th week of life and only persists in very, very rare cases of infantile cerebral palsy (ICP - movement disorder caused by early childhood brain damage).
You can try out the stepping reflex with your baby yourself easily if you like. Hold the baby upright under the armpits so that the soles of the feet touch the floor or a firm surface. The baby will instinctively make kicking movements with its legs that look like small steps (the so-called stepping movement). The purpose of the stepping reflex is not yet entirely clear scientifically. It is assumed that it helps with brain maturation, the development of leg muscles, and helps the baby get into the right position for birth while in the womb.
How long does the stepping reflex last? The innate stepping reflex is also called the stepping reaction or walking reflex and disappears at the age of approx. 3 months.
Food intake is vital for every baby. That is why babies naturally possess the rooting reflex (also known as "searching for the breast"). Stroke the corner of your baby's mouth on one side - due to the rooting reflex, the baby's head turns in the direction of the touch and the mouth opens.
How long does the rooting reflex last? The rooting reflex lasts into the 3rd month.
The Galant reflex is also known as the trunk incurvation reflex and belongs to the group of tonic reflexes that regulate body posture and muscle tone. The innate Galant reflex can be triggered by you or a doctor if you stroke the skin along the baby's spine with your fingernail. The baby turns its torso and spine in the direction of the touch. The Galant reflex facilitates birth for both child and mother through the rotation triggered when passing through the birth canal.
How long does the Galant reflex last? The Galant reflex disappears around the 3rd month.
The sucking, swallowing, and gag reflexes, like the rooting reflex already described, ensure food intake for the baby. If you touch the baby's palate, it instinctively begins to suck. As soon as food or liquid enters the mouth, it is swallowed. The food is automatically transported further into the esophagus without entering the windpipe.
How long does the sucking reflex last? The sucking reflex is replaced by conscious sucking after approx. 4 months. Incidentally, the innate swallowing reflex as the transport of food into the esophagus as well as the gag reflex remain for life.
The Moro reflex is a startle reflex that is also often called the Moro reaction. It develops in the ninth week of pregnancy and is triggered by an abrupt change in head position, sudden vibrations, loud noises, or bright light. Scientists assume that babies use the Moro reflex to cling tightly to the mother in a dangerous situation in order to find protection. When the Moro reflex is triggered, the baby opens its mouth and stretches its hands and arms upward with spread fingers. To protect your baby, you should try to avoid the Moro reflex or only let a pediatrician trigger it.
How long does the Moro reflex last? The Moro reflex disappears again by the 4th month.
The grasp reflex (also called the palmar grasp reflex, plantar grasp reflex, or Robinson reflex) is certainly the most famous and popular baby reflex. Incidentally, it is triggered both in the hand and in the foot! For example, place your finger in the baby's palm, and due to the pressure on the palm, the baby will automatically grasp your hand as a reflex response. This grasp reflex is so strong that a newborn could even hold onto a bar and used to serve the purpose of clinging to the mother.
How long does the grasp reflex last? In the hands, the grasp reflex can be observed up to the 6th month of life, and in the feet even up to the end of the first year of life.
The primitive respiratory protection reflex in babies is an unconscious, reflex-like blockage of breathing by the larynx. As soon as the mouth and nose come into contact with water, it automatically prevents water from being inhaled into the lungs. It is colloquially known as the diving reflex, as it is used for various diving exercises in popular baby swimming, a playful parent-child exercise in the pool. Incidentally, babies also possess the swimming reflex from birth. If you hold a baby carefully in a horizontal position on the surface of the water, it begins to make reflex-like movements that strongly resemble those of adults swimming. There are certainly great baby swimming classes in the pools in your city too. Why not give it a try!
How long does the respiratory protection reflex last? The respiratory protection reflex (diving reflex) disappears approx. 6 months after birth. Incidentally, the sneezing reflex and coughing reflex are also respiratory protection reflexes. These, however, remain with humans for life.
The placing reflex is another early childhood baby reflex related to self-protection (birth process) and is also described as the placing reaction. The name placing reflex is derived from the fact that it almost looks like babies are climbing up a stair when you trigger this innate reflex. To test it, hold your baby under the armpits in the air so that the top of your baby's foot brushes along the edge of a table from the ankle to the toes. Your baby will unconsciously pull up its knee and bend its foot as if it wanted to step up onto a step.
How long does the placing reflex last? The placing reflex disappears after approx. 6 months.
The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) also supports the birth process. It can be triggered when the baby is lying on its back and you turn the baby's head to one side. The arm and leg in the direction of the gaze are automatically stretched, and the other two are bent. If you turn the head to the other side, the other arm and leg are stretched and bent respectively.
How long does the ATNR last? The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) disappears over time after birth, but can still be observed up to the 6th month of life.
Unlike the ATNR, the Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) does not support the birth process, but only reaches its strongest expression between the 6th and 9th month of life. It helps the baby to get into the crawling position and to stabilize itself on its hands and knees. The STNR is triggered when the head is bent toward the chest. Then both arms bend symmetrically and both legs stretch symmetrically. The STNR also works the other way around. If the baby stretches its head back slightly, the arms bend and the legs stretch.
How long does the STNR last? The Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) is most visible between the 6th and 9th month and disappears again directly in the 9th month.
It is assumed that the Babinski reflex supports the birth process. It is shown by stroking the baby's sole with a fingernail, for example, from the heel toward the little toe. As a reflex reaction, the big toe bends and the other toes spread out.
How long does the Babinski reflex last? The Babinski reflex disappears by the end of the first year of life. If the Babinski reflex persists beyond this, it makes it difficult for the baby to learn to walk. However, this case only occurs very, very rarely.
The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) ensures that when the head or body moves rapidly in a certain direction, the eyes move at the same speed in the opposite direction in order to continue to fixate on an object or person. Without the VOR, the eyes would move rigidly with the head like those of a doll.
How long does the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) last? By the 10th day of life, the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) should be fully developed. From then on, the VOR remains for the rest of life.
The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) exists in forward and backward versions. Both the TLR forward and the TLR backward are triggered by the sense of balance in the ear and help the baby perceive its own body in space and gravity. In the TLR forward, the baby adopts the fetal crouching posture. If the head is bent forward, the arms and legs are bent close to the body. The TLR backward ultimately prepares the baby for the birth process and helps the baby to straighten up. If the head is tilted back, the baby's entire body opens up from the fetal posture into extension.
How long does the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) last? The forward Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR forward) disappears after approx. 4 months. The TLR backward can even be observed up to an age of 3.5 years.
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