Neonatal startle reflex

Many new parents do not understand some things about their children. When they take care of and observe their babies every day, they will discover many things about their babies. Some of the babies' behaviors make new parents very frightened and they think that there is something wrong with the babies. When a baby hears a loud noise, he or she will stretch out his or her arms and legs. This is the startle reflex of infants and newborns. Let's learn more about it.

What is the startle reflex? Not many people are familiar with the startle reflex. It is a whole-body movement, which is most clearly seen when the baby is lying down.

The startle reflex is one of the instincts of newborn babies. The startle reflex is manifested as follows: when suddenly stimulated by noise or being put on the bed violently, the newborn immediately stretches out his arms, spreads his fingers, arches his back, tilts his head back, and straightens his legs.

Babies already have various senses when they are born, but these senses are still very rudimentary. With the development of brain functions and the influence of rich environmental stimulation, various senses will develop rapidly. If these innate abilities are not practiced in time, they will naturally disappear after a few months. If they are trained in time, these innate reflexes can be turned into acquired skills.

When a newborn baby has a startle reflex, parents do not need to worry. It will usually disappear in 3-5 months. If it does not disappear at this time, timely treatment is required.

In layman's terms, the startle reflex refers to a symptom that a baby exhibits when he is startled or stimulated. This is an instinctive expression, but it will not exist for a long time. So when will the baby's startle disappear?

The startle reflex is a temporary reflex of the neonatal period. Under normal circumstances, the reflex disappears naturally 3-4 months after birth.

By the time he's one month old, your baby may have developed a routine for eating and sleeping, but don't force him to follow it. At this stage, you should feed your baby whenever he shows signs of hunger, preferably before he starts crying.

Newborns are most prone to the startle reflex. Some babies will experience this even when they are sleeping, but it will easily disappear after a few months.