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The rise and fall of the plantar response in infancy

M K Gingold1, M E Jaynes, J B Bodensteiner

  • 1Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown 26506, USA.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|October 27, 1998
PubMed

Insights

The plantar response in infants typically becomes flexor by 6 months of age. This developmental milestone in infant reflexes is crucial for assessing neurological development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neurology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • The plantar response is a key neurological reflex in infants.
  • Its maturation indicates normal neurodevelopmental progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish the age at which the plantar response reliably becomes flexor in infants.
  • To correlate this reflex maturation with other infantile reflexes.

Main Methods:

  • Serial evaluation of 169 infants from 2 weeks to 12 months.
  • Standardized elicitation of the plantar response during well-child visits.

Main Results:

  • Plantar response was extensor in 95.5% at 2 months, decreasing to 0% by 12 months.
  • A predominantly flexor response was observed by 6 months of age in normal infants.

Conclusions:

  • The plantar response matures to a predominantly flexor pattern by 6 months in healthy infants.
  • This maturation aligns with the developmental timeline of other infant reflexes.

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