In plain words
The Moro reflex is also called the startle reflex. A newborn's arms fling out, their fingers spread, and they may cry. Then the arms pull back toward the body. A sudden sound, a change in position, or a drop of the head can set it off. It is a normal sign that the nervous system is working. The reflex usually fades over the first few months. Many parents notice that it wakes a sleeping baby. and firm, gentle holding can help some babies stay settled. If a baby's arms or legs seem to move unevenly, or the baby does not startle at all, tell your pediatrician.
The deeper version
The Moro reflex is a primitive reflex elicited by sudden or loss of support. It produces abduction and extension of the arms, followed by adduction, often with crying. It is typically present at birth and integrates over the first four to six months. Asymmetry, absence, or persistence beyond the expected age can signal neurological or brachial plexus injury, so it is part of the standard newborn neurological examination. Moro first described it in 1918. Calming inputs such as rhythmic vestibular stimulation, deep pressure and containment, and reduce spontaneous movement and the reflex. The controversy concerns swaddling, since containment reduces the reflex but raises safety questions when it is done incorrectly.
Where it comes up
- Swaddling: how and when to stopBaby Basics
- Soothing a newbornBaby Basics
- When the baby is injured at birthLoss and Complications
- Hiccups, sneezes, grunting, and other normal weird thingsBaby Basics
What mothers here say about Moro reflex
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Sources
- Moro E — Das erste Trimenon. Munchener Medizinische Wochenschrift (1918)