Babinski reflex / reaction of a baby

When a newborn's foot is stroked on the outside of the sole, the toes fan out. Joseph Babinski (1857-1932) was a French neurologist. Baby: 2½ weeks old. The response disappears around 12-24 months of age.
Question: I dont really get it. can someone please explain it to me, but in simple terms?
Answer: lets give it a try. when I blow in your eyes (stimulus), your eyes immediately blink (response). thats what you call a reflex. Well, baby's have special reflexes healthy grownups dont have, like this reflex: when you tickle a baby's foot on the outside (stimulus) his/her toes fan immediately out (response) - but not when the baby is drowsy or asleep. Thats what you call a Babinski reflex. As the baby grows older the reflex disappears. Isnt that interesting! During development baby's not only just acquire new behaviors, but they also lose some (although 5% of the healthy adults still show the babinski).
Comment: This is a vestigial reflex we needed when man was much more like ape, and needed to grab onto branches with his feet when leaves brushed against them.
Reply: perhaps a more plausible hypothesis is that certain basic neural structures develop first, bringing about typical infant reactions. More complex structures develop later and suppress the early structures. therefore most infant reactions disappear during the first year of life. In case of neurological diseases the basic structures may take over again. and when infants do NOT show reflexes/reactions like the babinski, this might be an indication of ill-developping neurological systems. You might say, okay these basic structures are the very evolutionary remnants of the infant reactions! But that's wishfull thinking. It reminds me of that time-honoured question: why do males have nipples? and then answering with: because millions of years ago males had to feed their babies. it's an inviting hypothesis, sure, but not true. If you want to know why males have nipples, read Stephen Jay Gould on 'male nipples and clitoral ripples'.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Babinski
• baby
• reflex
• reaction

[miguelaiquel]

that's not babinski, it's chaddock

[betapicts]

@miguelaiquel

Babinski - stimulation of the outside (lateral side) of the sole of the foot

Chaddock - stimulation of the skin over the outside bump of the ankle (lateral malleolus)

Google: "History of the Extensor Plantar Response: Babinski and Chaddock"

[greenboarder89]

sorry but the beeping is cooler...

[betapicts]

@greenboarder89 - there's no accounting for tastes, huhu

[daleena19]

What does it mean, if when you stroke the sole the toes go downward instead?

[betapicts]

@daleena19 - in principle it means: the stimulation of different groups of nerves results in different reactions. for the 'meaning' of baby reflexes please read the info box.

[kirkferentzrocks]

lol i like the guitar chord!



[virginboy92]

2 people suffer innate motor impairments

[virginboy92]

i thought the babinski was running down the sole of the feet

[TheMemo210]

It is normal in the first year of life because the corticospinal tract is still unmyelinated

thnks for video

[vidushanDilanka]

Wow nice .........

[brownet83]

LOL...the guitar string totally kills me...LOL...happyfeet :-)