Infant Terminology and Reflexes
Intro[edit | edit source]
early term 37-38 weeks
late term 41 weeks
post term 42 weeks
affects reaching milestones when they were born
28 weeks-life is viable; very extremely
preterm
Birth weight
irth weight is 2,500 to 4,000 grams or five pounds, eight ounces to eight pounds, 13 ounces. Low birth weight is anywhere from 1501 to 2,500 grams. Very low birth weight is 1000 grams to 1500 grams and extremely low birth weight is an infant that weighs less than 1000 grams at time of birth. Now there are a number of
factors affecting birth weight: Such as ethnicity, the maternal age, maternal health, amount of maternal weight gain in pregnancy, birth order, gestational age, and genetics.
Apgar score[1]:
- The Apgar score consists of five components (heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and color), each given a value from 0 to 2. Thus, total scores range from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating a better physical condition. e. The Apgar score provides an accepted and convenient method for reporting the status of the newborn infant immediatelypgar is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. after birth
- grimace
- appearance
- respiration
Various ages
- gestationsal
- chronological
- adjusted or corrected age- when they were born vs. when they were supposed to be- use this for milestone for the first two years of life
Primitive Reflexes[edit | edit source]
Primitive reflexes are involuntary motor responses originating in the brainstem present after birth in early child development that facilitate survival. [2]
rimitive reflexes are adaptive reactions in the neonate and diminish as the brain and nervous system mature. Most of these reflexes can be present in normal individuals, even in young adults. [3]
The delay of integrating these reflexes at a typical developmental correlates with delays or deficiencies in reaching milestones and a reduced ability to process sensory information [1,12,15].Persistent reflex activity can influence the quality of a child’s motor skills, especially coordination and balance. They may be linked to learning difficulties and behavioral problems [9,10]. Incomplete integration of primitive reflexes may cause an involuntary motor response in a reflex pattern. The reflex tensions and uncontrolled movements require conscious and increased control over the child’s motor activities. Their activeness prevents the child from moving fluidly. Non-integrated primary reflexes are described in the literature among the factors that contribute to disorders in the harmonious motor development of the child—they are manifested by clumsiness and frequent learning difficulties [4]
Primitive reflexes are stereotypic, automatic, survival-oriented movements (Taylor, Houghton, & Chapman, 2004). The emergence of these brainstem-mediated primitive reflexes often begins in utero, and they then strengthen postnatally; gradually, these integrate during the first three years of life.Functionally, these reflexes allow neonates and infants to interact with their environments through reflexive movements before they are capable of cortically directed actions. However, with ongoing development it is important that children gain volitional control over these reflexive responses, engaging voluntarily in cortically directed, meaningful occupations such as play, self-care, education, and social participation. Failure to integrate these reflexes in the typical developmental stage has been shown to correlate with developmental delays, including interruptions to milestone achievement and decreased ability to process sensory information[5]
| Reflex | Function | Initiated | Integrated | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | birth-2 months | 4-11 months | voluntary grasp; hand awareness | |
| Rooting | stimulus provided at cheek or lip and infants turns toward it | prenatal | 3 months | ability to locate food |
| Galant | strokes along paravetebral line activates trunk flexion toward stimulus | prenatal | 3 months | little known but thought to help with emptying of bladder, rectum relaxation |
| ATNR | lateral rotation of head, extension of arm and leg on face side, flexion on skull side | birth-2 months | 4-6 months | motion in utero, promote early visual regard for hand[5] |
| STNR | flexion of the neck causes flexion of upper extremities and extension of lower extremities; neck extension elicits the opposite action | 4-6 months | 8-12 months | assist with the disappearance of flexion posture in prone in order to get into quadraped |
develop in utero
as nervous system develops, they begin to disappear/integrated
absensce of it or persistance of one could indicate a neurological issue
Flexor withdrawl
crossed extension
palmar grasp
plantar grasp
rooting reflex
sucking reflex
moro reflex
galant reflex
positive support
propriopective placement
spontaneous stepping
landaou
babinki
parachute
tonic reflexes
- atnr
- tonic labyrinth
- symmetric tonic labyrinth
righting reactions
- labyrtinth
- optic righting
- neck righting
- vertical righting
- rotational righting
Resources[edit | edit source]
Modrell AK, Tadi P. Primitive Reflexes. InStatPearls [Internet] 2021 Mar 21. StatPearls Publishing.
- ↑ Cnattingius S, Johansson S, Razaz N. Apgar score and risk of neonatal death among preterm infants. New England Journal of Medicine. 2020 Jul 2;383(1):49-57.
- ↑ Modrell AK, Tadi P. Primitive Reflexes. InStatPearls [Internet] 2021 Mar 21. StatPearls Publishing.
- ↑ Melillo R, Leisman G, Mualem R, Ornai A, Carmeli E. Persistent Childhood Primitive Reflex Reduction Effects on Cognitive, Sensorimotor, and Academic Performance in ADHD. Frontiers in public health. 2020:684.
- ↑ Pecuch A, Gieysztor E, Wolańska E, Telenga M, Paprocka-Borowicz M. Primitive reflex activity in relation to motor skills in healthy preschool children. Brain Sciences. 2021 Jul 23;11(8):967.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Hickey J, Feldhacker DR. Primitive reflex retention and attention among preschool children. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention. 2021 Apr 4:1-3.
