Newborns come with a whole set of built-in reflexes, and most new parents have never heard of half of them until a pediatrician mentions one during a checkup. Here's a plain-English rundown of what's typical, and what's worth a closer look.
Reflexes Every Newborn Has
Rooting (turning toward touch near the mouth), sucking, grasping, and the startle reflex are all present from birth and considered completely normal. These reflexes exist to help your baby feed, bond, and respond to their environment before they have any voluntary control over their body.
Why These Fade on a Schedule
Most newborn reflexes are designed to fade as your baby's nervous system matures and voluntary movement takes over, usually somewhere in the first several months. This fading is actually a good sign, it means development is progressing.
When the Timeline Feels Off
A reflex that seems unusually weak, unusually strong, only present on one side, or still very present well past when it typically fades, isn't necessarily a problem, but it is worth a conversation. The nervous system controls all of this, so when something looks off with reflexes, it's often worth looking at nervous system function more broadly, rather than tracking each reflex as its own separate concern.
Why New Parents Often Miss This
With a first baby especially, there's no real baseline for comparison, you don't know what "normal" looks like because you've never seen it before. That's completely understandable, and it's exactly why an outside, nervous system focused look can catch something a busy new parent might reasonably not think twice about.
Where an INSiGHT Scan Fits In
Rather than just watching and waiting, an INSiGHT nervous system scan gives real information about how your baby's nervous system is functioning, which is part of why it's done at every first visit here, for babies especially. It turns "let's just keep an eye on it" into something we can actually measure and revisit.
Curious what a first pediatric visit actually looks like? Our Babies & Kiddos page walks through it from start to finish.
FAQ:
Q: Should I bring up reflex concerns with my pediatrician or a chiropractor?
A: Both are worth talking to. Your pediatrician rules out medical concerns, and a nervous system focused exam looks at overall function.
Q: Do all babies lose these reflexes at the same age?
A: There's a general expected window for each reflex, but every baby develops at their own pace.
