{"id":22557,"date":"2021-03-04T11:15:50","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T10:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/sviluppo-cognitivo\/capitolo-2-i-riflessi-innati\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T08:23:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T07:23:42","slug":"chapter-2-innate-reflexes","status":"publish","type":"sviluppo-bambino","link":"https:\/\/babywellnessfoundation.org\/en\/sviluppo-cognitivo\/chapter-2-innate-reflexes\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 2 \u2013 Innate Reflexes"},"content":{"rendered":"

At birth, a baby’s nervous system is not a blank slate. It has had nine months to develop during intrauterine life, following a model shaped by hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. Through the mother\u2019s body, it has already come into contact with the environment it will need to adapt to. Certain connections in the nervous system enable the baby to perform involuntary movements that are essential for survival and adaptation. At the same time, they are signs of healthy development: these are innate reflexes<\/strong> (3).<\/p>\n

The neonatologist checks for their presence during the baby\u2019s first hours of life, while the pediatrician monitors them throughout the child\u2019s growth. Over the months, these reflexes\u2014regulated by the peripheral nervous system\u2014gradually fade as the brain matures, making way for voluntary movements. The first action a newborn must perform at birth is, naturally, to breathe. Through the first cries, air enters and expands the lungs, activating autonomous respiration. From this moment, heart-lung circulation begins: the heart rate can reach 180 beats per minute. Several other reflexes must also be present at birth. The main ones can often be recognized by parents (4):<\/p>\n