Seed was planted 9 months ago
The crop is now ready
Baby is 3 weeks old
One could be forgiven for thinking newborn babies are pretty stupid
For example this one still struggles with long division
But human babies are born with a very particular set of skills
Skills they have acquired over a long career in the womb
These are called PRIMITIVE REFLEXES
Reflexes are automatic responses to stimulus, like the knee jerk
Babies have a different set which disappear in their first year
Doctors and nurses check if they persist when the child is older, as this may suggest a neurological problem
In some neurological disorders, they reappear later in life
Many centre around baby’s primary concern: milk
The rooting reflex turns baby's head to touch to help him feed before vision has developed
Disappears by 4 months
It is more obvious when hungry (he had recently fed)
Touch on the baby's lips and mouth induce the suck reflex
It is common to all newborn mammals
Indeed, suckling is from where the word mammal derives, Latin 'mamma' meaning 'breast'
Combined with swallowing and breathing reflexes, sucking is not only for feeding but important for development of speech
The Galant reflex is flexion towards stimulus down one side of the spine
Its purpose is unclear, presumed to be involved in assisting birth and/or crawling
Disappears by 3-9 months
The asymmetric tonic neck reflex is extension of arm (and leg) on the side baby's head is turned towards
Possibly involved with birth process
May help with coordination and alerting baby to existence of his hand which will appear in his field of (limited) vision
Disappears by 6 months
The Moro reflex is a primitive form of the 'fight or flight' response
It is the first reflex to develop in utero
It can be stimulated by touch, smell, sound, sight or vestibular stimulation (position)
It can be stimulated whilst asleep, waking the baby. Preventing this is the concept behind swaddling
Disappears by 4 months
The Babinski or plantar reflex is upgoing toes in response to scratching the sole
After the age of 1, toes should go down
This is around the age baby will start walking
It is a routine part of the adult neurological examination - an upgoing plantar is suggestive of central nervous system damage
The palmar or grasp reflex is thought to be a remnant of the days we were covered in fur
Primate infants instinctively cling to whatever is in their palm (ie mother's hair)
Disappears by 6 months
Other reflexes not shown in this video include
The symmetric tonic neck reflex, the tonic labyrinthine reflex, the stepping reflex,
...the diving or swimming reflex, the crawling reflex, the Babkin reflex, the Perez reflex and the parachute reflex
Almost all of these reflexes are shared by our closest cousins, the great apes
It feels utterly bizarre to encounter people who don't believe in evolution in 2019 but I guess that's where we are now
Seeing as this is YouTube, you'll undoubtedly find them in the comments
I'm sorry I didn't film outside in proper Primitive Technology style
...but this is January in the UK and I do not wish to be arrested for child endangerment
I also opted not to film this without a shirt on but I'm not apologising for that. Frankly you should be thanking me.
