Learning Objective
Describe sensory preferences and primitive reflexes in newborns, including their features, onset, extinction, and neurological origin.
Newborn Sensory Preferences
Newborns naturally prefer stimuli that are easy to detect, socially meaningful, or high in contrast. Their visual system is immature, but several preferences are well established:
- Large, bright objects with high contrast (e.g., black-white patterns)
- Moving objects (tracking improves by 2–3 months)
- Curved shapes rather than straight lines
- Complex patterns over simple ones
- Facial stimuli (especially the mother’s face)
These preferences support early bonding and visual development.
Activity
Newborn Reflexes
Below is a clean, exam-ready table of the key primitive reflexes:
| Reflex | Features | Onset | Extinction | CNS Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moro (Startle) | Sudden head extension → arms extend, hands open, then flex back in | Birth | 5 months | Brainstem (vestibular nuclei) |
| Grasp | Fingers close firmly around an object placed in the palm | Birth | 5 months | Brainstem (vestibular nuclei) |
| Rooting | Turning the head toward cheek stimulation prepares for feeding with sucking motions | Birth | 5 months | Brainstem (trigeminal) |
| Babinski | Stroking lateral foot → dorsiflexion and fanning of toes (normal in infants) | Birth | 1 year | Spinal cord |
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