ABSTRACT
Primitive automatic movements, called reflexes, are present in an active fetus for many months before delivery, as if in preparation for the coming event. Reflexive behaviors also seem to play a role in the writhing necessary to help the fetus work through the cervical opening. Among these reflexes are: tonic neck reflex; spinal cord reflex; moro or startle reflex; the step reflex and the standing reflex; crawl reflexes; and sucking and gagging reflexes. Swaddling is used in many cultures to replace the constraints offered by the uterus and then by a mother's holding and containment. Rooting and sucking are among the most reliable activities of newborn babies. There appear to be three components of sucking: a lapping motion of the tongue, a milking movement at the back base of the tongue, and suction from the upper esophagus.
