The Moro reflex or startle in the newborn baby
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п»ї<title>The Moro reflex or startle in the newborn baby</title>
After the birth of a baby, the main objective is to ensure that the baby is in perfect health. To this end, healthcare professionals carry out a detailed examination; in this context, one of the most common procedures is the examination of reflexes. Although the newborn has a multitude of these involuntary reactions, today we will focus on the Moro reflex.
Indeed, the infant presents numerous reflex behaviors, some of which can already be found in the womb before birth. These reactions often have an adaptive and biological function, the aim of which is to ensure the child's survival. For example, the sucking reflex is essential for feeding. Therefore, they are natural and expected phenomena that indicate the degree of health of the child and help us to identify the presence of possible alterations.
The Moro reflex or startle reflexThe Moro reflex owes its name to the Austrian physician and pediatrician, Ernest Moro, who first described it. It is also known as the startle response and is present in all healthy neonates. It can even be observed incompletely in infants born prematurely after 28 weeks of gestation.
It is expected that this reflexive behavior is maintained in the infant until three or four months of age, when it tends to disappear.
How is the Moro reflex provoked? This consists of checking the reaction of the newborn when experiencing the lack of support or the sensation of falling into the void. It is important to emphasize that this is the greatest fear of babies up to six months of age, along with loud noises. Therefore, it is to be expected that this test will generate a clearly visible startle.
To test for the presence of this reflex, the infant is placed lying face up on a padded surface. Then, begin to remove part of his body weight from the cushion, either by holding his head or by gently lifting his arms, so that the supported weight is lightened.
This support is then suddenly released, only for a few moments, but this allows the child to feel the lack of support or the "fall into the void". In reality, the child's body is never separated from the soft surface and when the head is released, it is held again before being allowed to hit the cushion, but for the child the sensation is sufficiently intense to generate a reaction.
How does the baby react? In this circumstance the baby reacts with a clear startle that is observed in his look and in his movements. The child extends his arms out to the sides, palms up and thumbs bent, while moving them in an agitated manner. He may even cry for a few moments. Then, when he recovers, he brings his arms back towards his body by bending his elbows and relaxes again.
This test is usually performed on all newborns immediately after birth. In addition, the reflex will continue to be checked for persistence in all well-child pediatric visits until three to four months of age, when it will disappear.
What happens if the Moro reflex is not present?The Moro reflex is a natural, healthy and expected reaction; so if it is not present or is present in an abnormal way, it would be an indication of some kind of health problem. For example:
If the Moro reflex is completely absent, it is likely that there is brain damage or spinal cord disorders. DeMorsier syndrome, perinatal listeriosis and Down syndrome are some of the conditions in which this reflex is missing.
When it appears but partially or asymmetrically we can think of a clavicle fracture or some kind of damage to the nerves of the brachial plexus.
In short, this simple test can provide us with valuable information about the newborn's state of health. It can also alert us to possible pathologies that require intervention. It is also important to keep checking this reflex at least until the fourth or fifth month of life, because if it remains instead of disappearing, it could also indicate the presence of an alteration.
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