Can you help with newborn reflexes?

[CountrifiedRN]

Hello everyone,

I posted this on student nursing, but thought maybe those of you in this specialty might have more ideas on resources that I can find (hopefully online):

I am doing an assignment on full newborn assessment. One of the things I need to do is describe certain reflexes and what an abnormal response could be caused by. For example, the absence of the Landau reflex can indicate cerebral palsy or gross motor retardation, and the absence of the Magnet reflex can indicate spinal cord damage.

Out of the 13 that I have there are three that I can not find what absence of the reflex would indicate. If anyone has any resources, can you please post? This assignment is due Wednesday morning, 11-13.

Here are the ones I am lacking (I have the definitions already, and how to perform the assessment):

Stepping reflex

Crossed Extension

Extrusion

I just need to know what absence would indicate. Thanks for your help!

[NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN]

According to

http://babyparenting.about.com/library/weekly/blreflexs.htm

this is what they had to say about the Stepping Reflex:

Holding baby upright with feet touching a solid surface and moving him forward should elicit stepping movements.

****

After 3-4 months, this reflex should vanish. If it reappears, there may be an injury of the upper spinal chord.

I looked for the other two but couldn't find them on the internet. I'll look this up in some texts, but it may take a few days for me to get back here. In the meantime, maybe some other people can help you. ;>)

[CountrifiedRN]

Thank you Kristi! :kiss

I spoke with some fellow students today and they are all having difficulty finding this info as well. I think I will email the instructor and ask her if she has any resources for us to use.

I really appreciate you taking the time to look for that info, thanks again!

[NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN]

http://www3.us.elsevierhealth.com/MERLIN/Leifer/Chapter_23_sample_chapter.pdf

is a sample in a nursing text that I found- if you scan the chapter, towards the end they mention that children with Cerebral Palsy may keep their extrusion reflex, so this may cause difficulty eating in these children (I don't know if this is the *only* one, this is just the only one I could find...). Unfortunately, I couldn't find any more info on why they wouldn't have one in the first place! I give up. ;>) Let me know what your teacher says! I'm curious now.

[CountrifiedRN]

Thanks so much Kristi! I tried to get in touch with my instructor today, but she was not in. Hopefully she will answer my email, but when I find out I'll let you know!