This article provides information for young parents or people who are still awaiting the birth of a baby. The phenomenon that will be discussed is called the "spontaneous reflex of Moro." In the absence of elementary knowledge about the vital functions of the body of newborn infants, some people who are faced with it may be confused. The fact is that children are born with a set of specific reflexes designed to survive.
Not all young couples are well instructed at the time of the birth of the children, so some phenomena can even cause them to panic. In particular, when the baby suddenly throws up its hands, inexperienced parents are easily confused. This is the Moro reflex described in the article, which can also sometimes be called the “reflex of fear”. Having no idea about the presence of this phenomenon and not understanding its mechanisms, some parents rush to call a pediatrician or even carry a child to a neurologist.
Moro's reflex is characteristic of newborns and, as a rule, completely disappears after a few months. In neonatology, he is well known. For the first time this reflex was described back in 1918 by a German pediatrician, in whose honor this manifestation got its name. To demonstrate it, Dr. Moreau produced unexpected cotton on the plane on which the child’s head was located.
During the experiment, cotton should be applied with both hands on both sides of the baby’s head. The provoked reflex lies in the fact that the child’s arms bent at the elbows are extended and fingers spread out. Then he, as it were, seeks to hug, to press something to himself. Raising the lower half of the body of the newborn by the straightened legs also provokes the manifestation of the Moro reflex. The same thing can happen with sudden noise, a sharp pop in the immediate vicinity of the crib, which is why Moro’s reflex is also called the “fear reflex”.
In fact, this is a normal reaction of the newborn and parents can be calm. Another extreme that adults should be warned against is turning the fright reflex into fun. The behavior of babies always touches loving parents, but throwing up your child’s pens occurs precisely as a result of strong inner feelings - in particular, fear. Presumably, the baby feels a fall and reflexively tries to save his life, trying to grab onto his mother. Thus, the response of the reflex causes a stress experience in the child's body.
The manifestation of the Moro reflex is accompanied in the child by rapid breathing and palpitations, the production of adrenaline. As a result, the baby may begin to cry. On the other hand, intentionally try to prevent the manifestation of reflexes should not be. Moreover, they cannot be avoided, because thanks to unconditioned reflexes, newborns are prepared for active growth and psychophysical development.
These reflexes are inherent in all healthy babies. One of the most famous is the sucking reflex, which manifests itself when feeding or even getting fingers in the baby's mouth. In this case, the baby has reflex sucking movements. The sucking reflex weakens after the baby is fed, but after about 30-60 minutes, it comes back to life. There are about twenty such unconditioned reflexes , and they are told about in the preparation for childbirth and childcare courses. The fear should cause, on the contrary, the absence of unconditioned reflexes in newborns.
As for the Moro reflex, as a rule, by about six months of the life of the newborn, its manifestations completely disappear. If it continues to persist, this may be an occasion for consultation with the appropriate specialist.