Newborn Reflexes And Infant Cues

What Can my Baby Do?

Although newborn babies are entirely dependent on an adult for food and warmth, they are not completely helpless: they can breathe for themselves, cry to get your attention, grasp with their fingers and toes, see your face at close range, and hear and possibly distinguish your and your partner’s voice from other voices. They can also eat reflexively and startle in response to stimuli.

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Grasp Reflex

A newborn’s grasp can be tight enough to support his or her whole weight — although you should never try this.

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Rooting Reflex

Stroke your baby’s cheek and he or she will turn toward your finger, mouth open and ready to suck.

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Startle Reflex

If you let your baby’s head flop back, the baby will think he’s falling and stretch out his arms and legs.

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Stepping Reflex

Your baby will perform a walking action when supported under the shoulders in an upright position, feet touching a firm surface.

Your Newborn Reflexes

Your baby is born with many normal reflexes. As he matures, many of these early reflexes or reactions will disappear. In the newborn exam, a nurse or doctor checks these reflexes, which are a sign of his good neurological health. There is no relationship between these reflexes and your baby’s future intelligence.

Awake or asleep, your baby yawns, quivers, hiccups, stretches, and cries out without apparent reason. Many of these behaviors are reflexive in nature; he cannot control most of his movements.

Other reflexes are protective. Coughing helps move mucus or fluid from his airway and relieves irritation. A new baby sneezes when his nose is irritated or a bright light shines in his eyes. He blinks if his eyelashes are touched, and he pulls away from a painful stimulus, such as a pinprick in his heel. If he is lying on his stomach, he lifts his head and turns it to the side to avoid smothering. If you place an object over his nose and mouth, he twists away from it, mouths it vigorously, or attempts to knock it off with his arms. A newborn is not helpless.

Some reflexes have specific names. The Moro or “startle” reflex occurs when your baby is alarmed or surprised. He suddenly flings his arms and legs out and straightens his body. The grasp reflex occurs when you place your finger in his palm; he responds by firmly grasping your finger. The automatic walking or dance reflex occurs when the baby feels pressure on the bottoms of his feet. If you support him upright with his feet bearing some weight, he will alternately move his feet as if walking. Your baby is born with well developed sucking and swallowing reflexes; these survival reflexes enable him to eat and thrive. He eagerly sucks on a breast or bottle nipple and swallows the milk, and when in need of soothing himself, he sucks on his fingers or yours. The rooting reflex is especially pronounced when he is hungry. Stroke his cheek with your finger and he turns toward the touch with his mouth open and searching. Tickle his lips and he will open his mouth wide. These reflexes are but a few your baby has to help him adapt and live outside your uterus.

Infant Cues

From birth, your baby has the ability to let you know a lot about what he wants, likes, and does not like. The efforts he makes to communicate with you are called infant cues. As you get to know your baby better, you will be able to interpret his cues more easily.

Communication Cues

Although a newborn baby cannot smile or talk, he has other ways to communicate with you. Of course, fussing and crying are ways to tell you he is hungry, lonely, or uncomfortable. Rooting or sucking his hand tells you that he is hungry. Heavy eyelids tell you he is sleepy. But when your baby is in a calm, quiet, alert state, he uses all kinds of subtle ways to get your attention and keep it. As you begin to recognize these, you will be impressed by how much your baby can tell you.

Your baby uses his eyes to capture your attention and get you to look at him and talk to him. His eyes brighten and open wide, and he stares at you intently. He explores your face, which he finds especially appealing. If you ignore this cue or look away, he may vocalize or move his arms to catch your attention. And as you return his gaze, a quiet dialogue begins. He may interrupt the dialogue by turning or looking away when he needs a rest and time to process what he has seen. After a brief rest, he may return his gaze to you. Returning his gaze when he wants to explore your face, and then giving him a chance to turn away and rest without you coaxing him to look back at you shows your sensitivity to his needs.

Feeding Cues

Newborn babies’ hunger cues are not always clear. In fact, they often feed best when they are not showing obvious signs of hunger. You should offer a feeding whenever your baby wakes up, even if he doesn’t seem hungry. If you wait too long, your baby may cry too hard to be able to feed.

Your baby may show his hunger by stroking his jaw with his fists, sucking on his lip, fingers, or fist, or rooting toward anything that touches his cheek. Pay attention to these early cues and feed him right away to help ensure a calm feeding.

When full, your baby lets go of the nipple, slows his sucking, yawns, dozes off, or makes a pucker face.

Soothing Cues

Your infant is the best person to teach you what calms him and what stimulates or agitates him. When your soothing efforts are effective, his fussiness lessens, he becomes more calm, and he relaxes and molds to your body as you hold him. If your jiggling, attempts to feed, or efforts to burp agitate him, he becomes more active and fussy and he stiffens. Coping with crying is one of the greatest challenges of parenthood, but in time you will figure out what soothes your baby.