We Eat With Our Hands: Part 2

The second hand reflex which directly impact oral function and feeding readiness is the Grasping Reflex.

Grasping is the reflex that allows newborns and very young infants to hold your finger and bring you to tears as they hug your with their tiny little hand.

When the grasp reflex is stimulated for feeding you will observe the infant to purse out the lips and lick the tongue forward. This helps with latching and sealing the nipple. It also is alerting the brain through a simple reflex arch to create an automatic, involuntary muscle response by a stimulus, often designed to protect the body, and for survival. In this case, designed to promote feeding skills. However, if you really think about it, oral feeding is a survival skill! We give sensory input to create motor output.

How to stimulate: Wiggle your index finger into the palm of the infants hand. A key component is to make sure your finger is between the fingers and the thumb. Why does that matter? Because the thumb in opposition to the fingers is a stage of maturity.

The most immature position is when the infants thumb is tucked into the palm under the fingers. The next level is thumb against the side of the palm against the index finger, then the thumb on top of the fingers, and then into opposition: thumb opposite fingers.

If the palm is so tight you can not get your finger in there: DO NOT PULL/PRY the fingers open. Neurologically the body will double-down and grasp tighter. Try this instead: place your hand around the infants wrist and GENTLY push the back of the hand downward. This elicits tenodesis, which allows the fingers to elongate and move away from the palm. (It is an issue of body mechanics not a reflex or magic trick)

Once your finger is on the palm/base of the fingers and between the thumb and fingers gently but firmly roll your index finger upward and outward with the intent to have the infants distal phalanges (last joint of the finger) to flex around and hold onto your finger. Provide a litte gentle traction keeping the tension for a few seconds. Repeat with each hand about three times.

Using these reflexes help prepare the body AND the brain to be ready or at least to EXPECT that feeding is about to happen.