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Clinical significance of plantar grasp response in infants
1Division of Pediatric Neurology, Osaka Medical Center and Research Institute for Maternal and Child Health, Izumi, Japan.
Insights
A negative or diminished plantar grasp response in infants may indicate neurological abnormalities, particularly spasticity. Close observation is recommended for infants showing this sign during early development.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Neurology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- The plantar grasp reflex is a primitive reflex present in infants.
- Assessing primitive reflexes aids in evaluating infant neurological development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the clinical significance of the plantar grasp response in infants.
- To correlate negative or diminished plantar grasp responses with neurological outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Reviewed records of 93 infants with negative or diminished plantar grasp responses between 1982 and 1992.
- Assessed neurological outcomes including cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and developmental delays.
Main Results:
- 834 normal infants exhibited a positive plantar grasp response within 6 months.
- Of 93 infants with abnormal responses, 75 developed cerebral palsy (69 spastic).
- Other outcomes included mental retardation, borderline intelligence, and motor delay.
Conclusions:
- A negative or diminished plantar grasp response in early infancy is a strong indicator of neurological abnormalities.
- Spasticity is a particularly common outcome associated with abnormal plantar grasp responses.
- Infants with diminished or absent responses require careful monitoring for potential neurological development issues.
Abstract:
The present study was undertaken to delineate the clinical significance of the plantar grasp response in infants. All 834 normal control infants had a positive response within the first 6 months of age, and most of them had a marked response at 1-4 months of age. The authors attempted to evaluate the neurologic outcomes of infants who had negative or diminished responses in these respective periods. Ninety-three infants examined from 1982 to 1992 fulfilled these criteria, and their prognoses were reviewed. The outcomes consisted of cerebral palsy in 75 (69 spastic, four athetoid with spasticity, one athetoid, and one ataxic); mental retardation in seven; borderline intelligence in two; motor delay in one; and eight were considered normal. These outcomes indicate that the negative or diminished response of this primitive reflex during early infancy is highly suggestive of neurologic abnormalities, especially for spasticity. Infants with such findings should be carefully observed for possible development of neurologic abnormalities.