Primitive Reflexes by Dr Sakthi,TMC.pptx

Primitive Reflexes in Newborn

1. PRIMITIVE REFLEXES A . Sakthi Thangavel Final yr MBBS

2. Primitive Reflexes are seen in normal newborns and they represent immaturity of brain They appear and disappear at specific times during development Some reflexes have to disappear for a new milestone to emerge Their persistence denotes CNS dysfunction. Eg : Persistent Moro in CP

3. Reflexes with onset before birth : Palmar grasp Rooting reflex Moro reflex Asymmetric tonic neck reflex Reflexes appearing after birth : Landau reflex Symmetric tonic neck reflex Parachute reflex

4. Reflex Onset & Peak Disappearance Procedure Inference Importance Palmar grasp 28w 32w 2-3m Place a finger in the open hand Closure of fingers in a grasp Rooting Reflex 32w 36w Less prominent after 1m Touch the corner of mouth Head turns towards the side and mouth opens Helps in finding the breast to feed on Moro reflex 28w
37w 5-6m Raise the head and drop suddenly with support Opening of hands – extension & abduction of UL – Ant flexion of UL – Cry Persistent – CP Asymmetric – Clavicle #, Erb’s Palsy, Hemiparesis Absent – General CNS dysfunction, HIE

5. Reflex Onset & Peak Disappearance Procedure Inference Importance Asymmetric tonic neck reflex 35w 1m 6-7m Manual rotation of head to one side Ipsilateral arm – Extension Contralateral arm – Flexion Should disappear for roll over to occur Parachute Reflex 7-8m 10-11m Persists throughout life Hold the trunk and lower it suddenly as if falling down Spontaneous extension of arms Protective response Presdisposes walking Symmetric tonic neck reflex 4-6m 8-12m Neck extension Neck Flexion UL extension & LL flexion UL flexion & LL extension Helps in crawling Landau reflex 3m 9m Neck flexion Neck extension On horizontal suspension Limb flexion Limb extension