Page 102 - 84 human physiolofy part-1

Chapter 5

birth. Newborns usually respond to a female's voice over a male's. This may explain why people
will unknowingly raise the pitch of their voice when talking to newborns. The sound of other
human voices, especially the mother's, can have a calming or soothing effect on the newborn.
Conversely, loud or sudden noises will startle and scare a newborn.

Taste
Newborns can respond to different tastes, including sweet, sour, bitter, and salty substances, with
preference toward sweets.

Smell
A newborn has a developed sense of smell at birth, and within the first week of life can already
distinguish the differences between the mother's own breast milk and the breast milk of another
female.

Age of
Reflex Stimulation Response Function
disappearance

This reflex
protects the
Bright light
Eye blink shinning in eyes or Closes eyelids Permanent infant from an
quickly.
excessive
clap hands by eyes.
amount of
stimulation.
This protects the
infant from
Stick sole of foot This causes the foot to
Withdrawal with a stimulus like withdraw. Flexing of Decreases after the excessive
unpleasant
10th day of birth
a pin. the knee to hip occurs.
tactile
stimulation.
3 weeks (due to the
Touch cheek near The infant's head will voluntary response This reflex
Rooting the corner of the turn towards the site that is now capable helps baby to
find the
mouth. of stimulation. for infant to do at this mothers' nipple.
time)

4 months (voluntary
Place fingers in The infant will suck This helps with
Sucking sucking will come
infant's mouth. finger rhythmically. feeding.
about)
This helps baby
Place the baby in The baby paddles and
Swimming pool of water face kicks in swimming 4 to 6 month to survive if
dropped into the
down. movements.
water.
Moro Hold infant in a The baby will make a 6 months In the
cradling horizontal embracing motion and evolutionary
position and slightly arch its back past this may
lower the baby in a extending it's legs and have helped the
fast motion toward throwing it's arms baby cling to the

102 | Human Physiology