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Updated: Feb 4, 2026
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Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
Published on: December 20, 2011
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The rooting reflex as an infant feeding cue.
Kathryn R Glodowski1, Rachel H Thompson2, Lauren Martel2
1The Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis
|September 26, 2018
Summary
The rooting reflex in newborns reliably indicates hunger, supporting its use as a feeding cue. However, this study did not find evidence that rooting alone signals the need for feeding before crying begins.
Area of Science:
- Infant development
- Neonatal reflexes
- Pediatric feeding behaviors
Background:
- The rooting reflex is widely believed by experts to signal infant hunger.
- Empirical evidence directly linking the rooting reflex to feeding status is limited in scientific literature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the rooting reflex and infant feeding status.
- To determine if the rooting reflex reliably indicates hunger before other cues like crying.
Main Methods:
- Seven parent-newborn dyads participated in the study.
- Parents documented rooting, crying, and palmar grasp reflexes before, between, and after feedings.
- A control reflex (palmar grasp) was monitored for comparison.
Main Results:
- The rooting reflex occurred more frequently during prefeeding observations compared to other time points.
- The control palmar grasp reflex showed no significant change across observation periods.
- Rooting without crying was observed infrequently, suggesting it may not consistently precede crying.
Conclusions:
- Findings provide empirical support for the rooting reflex as an indicator of infant hunger.
- The study did not find sufficient evidence to confirm that feeding upon observing the rooting reflex would consistently prevent infant crying.
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