It is an involuntary and completely physiological reflection of the foot that appears in the first months of life. If it persists over 2 years, however, it is good to contact the pediatrician, since it could be the sign of neurological problems
The Reflex of Babinski of the newborn It is an automatic and involuntary response of the foot, typical of the first months of life, described for the first time in 1896 by the neurologist Joseph Babinski. Evocing it is simple: it is sufficient to stimulate the baby’s foot plant with a finger or any unppetrated object. Try to do it yourself: if you have correctly performed it, the hallux of the newborn will rise upwards and the other fingers will widen to fan.
This reflection is part of the primitive reflections of the newborn And, together with other signs, it represents an important indicator of neurological development in babies. It develops already from the 32nd week of gestation, although it is difficult to observe it during ultrasound controls in pregnancy.
But now, leave that foot for a moment and let’s get to know in detail how Babinski’s reflection works.
What is Babinski’s reflection?
This is an involuntary response that occurs, following the stimulation of the child’s foot plant. In infants and in the first months of life, the answer is represented by aextension of the fingerswith the hallux that rises upwards and the other fingers that open to fan.
This phenomenon is completely normal in young children, since it is a consequence of the physiological immaturity of their nervous system; In adults and older children, on the contrary, it should not occur. But, in this regard, What is Babinski’s reflectionas well as a curious movement of the foot? It is precisely an important indicator of the maturation of the central nervous system and the functionality of the spinal cord. Just as the other primary (or primitive) reflections, in fact, provides crucial information on neurological development.
How the reflection of Babinski is manifested
Recognizing Babinski’s reflection is quite simple. Just crawl your finger (or an unppetrated object) from the heel towards the baby’s hallux. If you have performed the movement correctly, the hallux will rise, as already mentioned, upwards and the other fingers will widen to fan. You will notice that this answer is immediate (it presents itself as soon as the foot is stimulated) and lasts a few seconds.
Now that we have learned how the reflection of Babinski is manifested In small children, it must be specified what happens in older ones or in adults.
In individuals of over 2 years the reflection must be absent, or a flexion of the big toe should occur and not its extension (Sign of Babinski negative). Unlike young children, in fact, in the age of 2 years of age, a reflection of positive Babinski can be an indication of neurological problems.
In a nutshell, the reflection is particularly evident during the first months of life but is destined to disappear gradually.
When you lose the reflection of Babinski
Already at birth and during the first months Babinski’s reflection is naturally present. This occurs due toimmaturity of the nervous systemwhich is still developing the necessary connections for voluntary motor control.
Over time and the progressive maturation of the nervous system, the reflection will disappear. But exactly, When does Babinski’s reflection disappear? Among all primitive reflections, Babinski’s is the one that takes the most time before leaving. Typically it is lost around 12 months of age, but since neurological development proceeds with individual rhythms, in some children it can persist up to 2 years – without this representing a problem.
His disappearance reports an important milestone in neurological development, since it indicates that the child has developed voluntary motor control and has acquired greater maturity of the central nervous system.
If Babinski’s reflection persists over 2 years, however, it is important to consult a pediatrician for an in -depth evaluation, as it could constitute a signal relating to neurological problems.
What does it mean if the newborn does not lose the reflection of Babinski
When worry about the reflection of Babinski? As mentioned, if the newborn does not lose the reflection within 2 years of life you have to contact the pediatrician. The persistence of the reflection beyond this age, in fact, can signal an alteration of the nervous system, in particular of the corticospinal tract (the motor nervous path that goes from the cerebral cortex to the spinal cord).
Some of the potentially implicated neurological conditions are:
- results of cranial trauma;
- child cerebral paralysis;
- brain tumors;
- cerebral stroke;
- Multiple sclerosis (more advanced age);
- Some metabolic and genetic diseases.
In summary, it is important to remember that, while in babies and young children the reflection of Babinski is normal, its persistence beyond 2 years requires a pediatric visit and any neurological investigations. In this regard, it is true that the reflection will be systematically evaluated by the pediatrician to health budgets, but if you have to notice the failure to disappear within the scheduled times, it is good to take action before.
