The grasping reflex of the baby is an ancient phylogenetic mechanism. The ability to hold items in pens initially leads to the world of games, and then the baby learns to eat independently. The grasping reflex is innate. By the age of one year, this reflex becomes conscious and turns into a coordinated and conscious action. In this article, we propose to familiarize yourself with the stages of development of the reflex, to identify the causes of a weak or absent reflex.
First stage
When does a grasping reflex appear in a newborn? As already mentioned above, this is an innate reaction. From birth to one year, the reflex is transformed into a conscious action, and there are 4 stages in total.
The first stage lasts from 0 to 2 months and is revealed very simply. When a doctor or parents press a finger on a baby’s palm, they should feel their palm shrink tightly around the finger. And this unconscious reaction is a grasping reflex.
Over a long period, the baby's palms are clenched into fists. But over time, curiosity will wake up, and the child will begin to unclench them and compress them again.
Already at the first stage, some kids try to consciously grab with pens everything that comes into their field of vision.
Second stage of development
This stage develops at the age of three months. At this time, the baby still does not know exactly what he needs, but is already trying to play with toys, reach for objects. During this period, not only a grasping reflex develops, but also coordination of movements, organs of vision.
From the age of three months, the baby may be recommended to parents to hang a multi-colored toy over the baby’s bed so that he can reach it with the handles. You can still play in covering your face, and the baby will soon begin to repeat these movements.
Third stage
Lasts from four to eight months. At this stage, the baby will not be very clever, but more confidently hold small objects and toys in their pens. It is worth paying attention to the fact that the child is developing, curiosity is awakening from him, and objects that pose a danger to him should be out of reach.
At the age of eight months, the baby should hold items in his hands in a more qualitative and coordinated manner.
The fourth stage of development of the grasping reflex
From nine months to a year, the child will hold objects quite tightly, tenacity will become stronger, and parents will have to effortlessly pick up items that cannot be taken from their hands.
By the year the question with a grasping reflex in a child should be almost resolved. By his first birthday, the baby should be able to take objects with both his right and left hands.
Reflex development
Without extraneous stimulation, the development of a grasping reflex can cause difficulties. Parents should help their child learn to take and hold items.
The first thing to do is to arouse interest in the subject. Buy rattles with a thin handle, a children's bright spoon. Give objects not directly to the handle, but from a distance, so that the baby reaches for them, makes efforts.
At the first stage, unclench the fists of crumbs, put your fingers in the palm of your hand.
From the year you need to promote the development of fine motor skills. To do this, the child needs to be given apple slices, a bread crust, cookies in the pens, taught to hold a spoon and wrap it properly. Under supervision, allow you to twist the plasticine in the pens, try to mold one of it together. It is very simple to develop a grasping reflex, but for this you need to make some efforts, and not hope that over time the baby will learn everything.
If the lethargy of the reaction is noticeable, or it is weakened, then you should consult a pediatrician.
When the reaction is weak
A weak grasping reflex in a baby can be noticeable before the age of two months, and this is normal. If weakness lasts much longer, then this is not a reason to sound the alarm. Perhaps the baby needs help from an adult.
Arouse interest in objects, in a circular motion of the thumb, massage the palms of the child.
But still it is worth contacting a pediatrician with a question about a weak reflex. The doctor will identify the causes of such a failure, prescribe the necessary massage courses, physiotherapy, or even drug therapy.
Lack of reflex
When there is no grasping reflex, you should not panic, this will not help the baby develop it. The reason for the absence of a reflex may not be a violation in the nervous system or other diseases, but a weak muscle tone.
A simple massage that can be easily done by the parents themselves, even without a specialized education, can help to cope with the problem.
Massage should be combined with activities with a child. Attract his interest in subjects. For example, a game while eating a plane will help. Bring the spoon to the baby’s mouth, and then move it a little. The kid will start to reach for the spoon with the handles, grab it and pull it into his mouth. The treatment does not take much time, and with the right approach, you will soon be able to get rid of the problem.
Activities for the development of reflex
With the complete absence of a grasping reflex in a newborn or with a weak one, one should try to develop it. In order for the muscles of the baby to begin to work as it should, you will have to deal with the child for some time not only during wakefulness, but also during sleep. We suggest considering a few simple exercises that will help develop a grasping reflex.
- At that time, while the baby is sleeping, his fists will be compressed weakly, right now you need to take up the development of the reflex. Put your finger first in one palm, the child will begin to involuntarily squeeze the fist, holding the object caught in it. Next, move your finger to another pen and again wait for a good response. Such manipulations need to be done every time the baby will fall asleep.
- Extend the thumb of the baby, hold it with your thumb so that it does not bend back. The rest grab the other fingers of the child, knead in a circular motion to the left. Next, each finger in turn then bend, then bend.
- Extend all the fingers of the baby, with the thumb of your hand, massage in a circular motion. You can play Raven Magpie, this game also helps to develop a grasping reflex.
- Hang the toys over the crib, all of them should be within reach, but the baby must show dexterity and strength in order to reach them and grab.
- Play rattles with the baby, shake them in front of the baby, he should show interest, try to take a bright thing on his own. Do not put rattles in the baby’s arms, he should grab them.
If by the third month of life the baby still does not have enough toys, does not try to hold them, then this may be evidence of hypotonic or hypertonic muscles. It is impossible to let its development drift; you need to see a doctor.
When the reaction doesn't quench
As already written earlier, the innate reflex must eventually transform into conscious movements. If, after the baby reaches the age of five months, the automatic reaction does not fade, you need to urgently contact a specialist, because this may indicate a violation in the nervous system and spinal cord.
Time to see a pediatrician
It happens that in babies there is absolutely no congenital grasping reflex. We told what measures should be taken for its development and about the need for massage. If the procedures do not help, and the grasping reflex in the child does not appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Timely initiation of treatment is half the success of therapy. The doctor will prescribe medication, physiotherapy and massage, which will help develop a reflex. After timely assistance, the child will begin to develop according to the norms, he will quickly catch up with his peers and by the year he will learn how to hold objects in his little hands.
If by the age of nine months the baby has not learned how to hold objects on his own, to take them, then you need to consult a specialist. Most likely, you will need massage and other procedures.
If the baby is not even five months old, but he has not yet begun to grab items, then this is also an unkind sign. The norm of such development is prematurity, but after five months of developmental crumbs, it should catch up with peers.
As soon as the baby begins to show interest in objects, help him maintain such curiosity. If you select a thing you like (of course, if it is not dangerous), then this interest in studying the world may fade away. At the first attempts to grasp a thing, stimulate the baby, help him, arouse interest.
Conclusion
The absence or weakness of one of the reflexes, including the grasping one, does not signal the presence of serious developmental disorders or diseases. Babies have many reflexes, and the absence or weakness of several of them is cause for concern. If you are not worried about the grasping reflex, then pay attention to the work of the others:
- The sucking reflex is one of the most important, without it the child is difficult to survive. If you put a pacifier, a bottle or a breast in your baby’s mouth, the baby should begin to suck actively.
- Search reflex. Checking the normal functioning of this reaction is simple: you need to touch the baby’s cheek gently with your finger. A normal reaction is to turn the baby’s head towards the cheek, which is touched, and it doesn’t matter whether the baby is sleeping or awake.
- Defensive reaction. Put the child on his tummy, he should not rest against his face, but turn the head from the side so that you can breathe calmly.
- Abdominal reflex. Just lightly tickle the baby’s tummy to the right of the navel, in response there will be a reaction - compression of the left leg and handle.
- Reflex Galant. When the child lies on his tummy, tickle the lumbar region, the baby will have to raise the pelvis and bend the leg.
- Reflex crawl. A child lying on his stomach should try to crawl, put his hands under the heels, and the baby will begin to actively repel.
- Other reflexes: soaring, tonic labyrinth, signal, pull-ups, arm support, automatic gait, trunk rectification reaction, cross-bending of the legs.
All these reflexes are checked by pediatricians, and if there is a lack of any in combination with a grasp, the doctor will prescribe an examination.