ABSTRACT

If you touch the palm of a newborn baby’s hand, they automatically grasp your finger. When feeling a hairy object, a piece of fabric or something like a piece of rope, the grip reflex can be so strong that the baby could actually be lifted up by the material. This instinctive response is probably a remnant of our prehistoric past, when we had more hair and the ability to keep hold of your mother was a matter of life and death.