Rooting Reflex: A Comprehensive Review
The rooting reflex is the instinctive response of newborns to move their heads or mouths towards a tactile stimulus on their cheeks. This reflex is essential for newborns to be able to breastfeed and is an important milestone for newborn development. Although the rooting reflex is present from birth, it usually disappears by the age of 4 or 5 months. This review paper provides an overview of the rooting reflex, its development and its clinical implications.
Background
The rooting reflex is a primitive reflex found in newborns and is essential for survival. It is a response to tactile stimulation of the cheeks, lips, or corners of the mouth and involves a movement of the head towards the stimulus, followed by sucking movements of the lips and tongue. The reflex is usually present from birth and begins to fade around 4 to 5 months of age (Galbally, et al., 2020).
The rooting reflex is an extension of the primitive sucking reflex, which is the reflexive suckling behavior of newborns when a nipple or a finger is placed in their mouths (Cantu, et al., 2018). This reflex is important for newborns to be able to feed and is regulated by the trigeminal and facial nerve. The rooting reflex is also associated with other primitive reflexes such as the moro or startle reflex, which can be triggered by a loud noise or sudden movement (Ng, et al., 2017).
Development
The rooting reflex plays an important role in newborn development and is essential for newborns to learn how to breastfeed. The reflex appears shortly after birth and is usually observed as early as the first day (Galbally, et al., 2020). It begins to fade around 4 to 5 months of age as the infant learns to feed on their own and is replaced by the voluntary use of their lips and tongue for feeding.
The rooting reflex is also associated with the development of the infant’s mouth and jaw. During the first few weeks of life, the baby will begin to make sucking movements with their lips and tongue, which will help them learn how to coordinate their mouth movements for feeding (Cantu, et al., 2018). Additionally, the rooting reflex helps the infant to practice and refine their sucking skills, which will help them develop their oral motor skills for feeding.
Clinical Implications
The rooting reflex is an important milestone in newborn development and is essential for newborns to learn how to feed. A lack of the rooting reflex can indicate a delay in development or a neurological disorder. Additionally, a weak or absent rooting reflex can lead to difficulty breastfeeding, which can cause malnutrition in the infant.
It is important for healthcare professionals to assess the rooting reflex in newborns to ensure that they are developing normally. If a delay or disorder is suspected, the healthcare professional should refer the infant to a specialist for further evaluation and treatment.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the rooting reflex is an essential primitive reflex that is present in newborns. It helps newborns to learn how to breastfeed and is an important milestone for newborn development. A lack of the rooting reflex can indicate a delay in development or a neurological disorder and should be monitored by healthcare professionals.
References
Cantu, C., Sanz-Cortes, M., & Martin-Ancel, A. (2018). The sucking reflex: definition, development, and clinical implications. Pediatrics, 141(2), e20173706. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3706
Galbally, M., Mazzucchelli, J., & Oberklaid, F. (2020). Normal newborn behavior and development. In Neonatology: Management, Procedures, On-Call Problems, Diseases, and Drugs (8th ed., pp. 10-36). Elsevier.
Ng, E., Shum, D., & Wong, W. (2017). Primitive reflexes in the newborn. Pediatrics in Review, 38(2), 57–63. https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2016-0172