Medri Vodcast: Neonatology Rijeka University School of Medicine

Keep the baby upright and allow the soles of the feet to touch the surface of the table. Move the baby forward to accompany any stepping. Alternating stepping movements with both legs will occur.

This response depends on arousal of the baby but it’s continuous absence can indicate paresis or be present in babies born by breech delivery.

With the baby in the supine position, turn the head to one side, holding the jaw over the shoulder. The arm and leg on the side to which the head is turned extend, while the opposite arm and leg flex. This response does not normally occur each time this maneuver is performed, and when it is elicted each time it is evoked it should be considered abnormal, at any age. It will persist beyond the time of expected disappearance in major cerebral damage.

The sucking reflex is common to all mammals and is linked with the rooting reflex and breastfeeding. It causes the child to instinctively suck at anything that touches the roof of their mouth. You can test this reflex with a pacifier, baby’s finger or your finger.

With the baby’s head positioned in the midline and hands held against the anterior chest, stroke with your finger the perioral skin at the corners of the baby’s mouth and the midline of the upper and lower lip. In response, the mouth will open and turn to the stimulated side. This response will also occur with stimulation of the infant’s cheek at some distance from the corners of the mouth.

Absence of this reflex indicates severe generalized or central nervous system disease

Starting in the supine position, the baby is pulled by the arms to the sitting position. The head and the arms are observed during the maneuver. The arms should remain partially flexed at the elbow and the head may lag behind the trunk. When the baby is in the sitting position, the head should be able to come to the upright position for at least a few seconds before dropping forward or backward.
Watch the sternocleidomastoid muscles which should bilaterally anticipate the pull to sit; the head flexes for a moment before head lag occurs.

Moro response can be produced in several different ways.
Hold the baby in supine position, supporting the back and pelvis with one hand and arm and the head with the other hand, and allowing the head to drop several centimeters with a sudden, rapid, not too forceful movement. You can also invoke it by producing a sudden loud noise (for example striking the examining table with the palms of your hands on either side of the baby’s head), or by any other mechanical stimulation, as shown in the video.

The normal baby throws out both arms quickly with symmetical abduction and spreads the fingers. This is often followed by jerky adduction of the arms as though the hands were reaching for an unseen security.

An absent or incomplete Moro is seen in upper motor neuron lesions. An asymmetrical Moro response may be due to a previously unsuspected fracture of the clavicle or Erb’s palsy.