Reflexes Reflexes 1.
Reflexes are the newborn's most obvious organized patterns of behavior.
A reflex is an inborn, automatic response to a particular form of stimulation. The moro and grasping reflexes may have had more survival qualities in the past. Most newborn reflexes disappear during the first 6 months of life due to a gradual increase in voluntary control over behavior as the brain matures. Thus, some researchers have concluded that although the stepping reflex stops, the mechanism responsible for it is used by the brain at a later age. Reflexes are also important in that they provide a means for assessing the integrity of an infant's nervous system.