The parachute reflex is a basic (primitive) postural reflex. It causes a baby standing upright to extend their arms outward and spread their fingers wide (like a parachute) to avoid falling face-first on a flat surface. This gross motor ability appears at five months of age in most full-term, healthy newborns, long before they begin to walk or crawl (1). It then fully develops between eight and nine months. A fully developed parachute reflex is an important developmental milestone for newborns. Thus, knowing about other important responses like the parachute reflex may help you track your infant’s growth if you have one or are expecting one soon. This article explains why the parachute reflex is important for babies, how it is tested, and what to do if your baby does not seem to develop some reflexes.
Why Do Infants Develop Parachute Reflex?
Parachute reflex is an involuntary reaction indicating healthy neuromotor development of an infant (2). Experts suggest that parachute reflex is vital to determine the baby’s ability to react to a stimulus (i.e., a falling position) and prevent injury due to falling. During routine check-ups, especially around nine months, healthcare providers and doctors check for parachute reflex in babies to rule out hemiparesis (3). Hemiparesis is a neurological condition where muscle-weakening or paralysis occurs on one side of the body (4).
How To Test The Presence Of Parachute Reflex In An Infant?
Most pediatricians and healthcare providers check parachute reflex in healthy, full-term babies using the following steps (5). In most full-term babies, healthy babies, the reflex develops entirely by 12 months of age and then stays indefinitely.
Other Primitive Reflexes
There are some more essential reflexes that mark the healthy overall development of a baby (6). These reflexes together prepare your baby to survive in the world outside the mother’s womb and learn different skills to act voluntarily.
What If One Or More Reflexes Are Absent In A Baby?
Reflexes mark developmental milestones. As babies grow and develop at different rates, some delay may happen and is usually normal. However, a partial or complete absence of one or more reflexes could indicate an underlying neurological or motor growth and developmental issue. For instance, a partial or complete absence of the sucking reflex may indicate brain damage and/or a syndrome that could affect the overall growth and development (7). Similarly, the presence of a reflex long after the time it should disappear indicates a brain or nervous system problem (8).
