Neonatal foraging reflex?

summary

Rooting reflex is a kind of neonatal unconditional reflex. When the newborn's cheek touches the mother's breast or other parts, the action of looking for the nipple will appear. When you touch a newborn's cheek with your fingers, his head will also turn in the direction of stimulation. The reflex appeared in 0 ~ 3 months and disappeared gradually in 3 ~ 4 months. Let's share my experience with you.

Neonatal foraging reflex?

The baby turned to the stimulated side and opened his mouth to look for the nipple. Put the baby's head in the center, put the hand on the front chest, gently press the skin around the mouth with the index finger, and touch the corner of the mouth and the center of the upper and lower lips respectively. The baby will open the mouth and turn its head to the stimulation side. When the upper lip is stimulated, the head will lean back, and when the lower lip is stimulated, the chin will hang down.

When the baby's cheek is stimulated, the head turns to the stimulation and the mouth opens, or when the upper lip is touched, the baby purses to look for food. After the start of lactation, the baby's foraging reflex also includes the movement towards the mother's breast. This movement helps the baby find and hold the nipple.

Looking for milk reflex is the survival need of the baby after birth in order to obtain food, energy and nutrients. When an object touches the corner of his mouth, the baby tries to find the source of the object and sucks. Therefore, after the baby is born, medical staff will hold him to his mother's side as soon as possible, so that the baby and his mother begin to have some skin contact.

matters needing attention

The baby's learning ability begins when it is in the mother's stomach. Therefore, when the baby grows up to 3-4 months, it will learn and recognize that when it is hungry, if it uses crying to show it, someone will come to feed it, so it will gradually change its behavior to express its needs, so the milk seeking reflex will gradually disappear. Some researchers have found that foraging reflex is affected by waking state. The more conscious and active the infant is, the more likely foraging reflex occurs.