Reflexes are involuntary reactions our bodies make towards certain stimuli. For instance, during routine physical examinations, doctor may check our knee jerk reflex; If she hits exactly the right part of our knee with her patella hammer, our leg should jerk involuntarily.
In the same way, the so-called calming reflex is a baby’s response to certain stimuli. Dr. Karp believes that this reflex is present in babies in utero, and disappears somewhere around 4-5 months.
The reason for this reflex ?
Dr. Karp says that this reflex plays a crucial role during pregnancy: Imagine if babies became upset or frantic while in the womb. They would constantly be moving around, and changing position, which of course would be not only painful and dangerous for the mother, but would mean the baby could move out of the head down position necessary for a natural birth.
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