Reflex in physiology is the reaction of a living being to any impact. Throughout the life of an organism, reflexes play a key role in its development, adaptation to environmental conditions and ensuring normal life. At the same time, one of the main, if not the most important, are the reflexes of newborns, on which the development of the child in the first months of life depends. One of the most important is the Landau reflex in newborns. Let's take a closer look at what it is.
Newborn reflexes
So, reflexes allow the child to adapt to an aggressive environment. At the same time, their formation largely depends on the state of the environment in which the fetus is formed (that is, on the mother's body). If, during fetal development, the body of the child and / or mother was too strongly affected by harmful factors, the baby may be born with pathologies due to which reflexes will begin to slow down or be absent. Thus, the reflexes of newborns are important indicators of the level of development of the child. Like any other, newborn reflexes are divided into unconditioned (congenital) andconditional (acquired).
Conditioned reflexes
Reflexes are called conditional, which are acquired by the child directly along with new knowledge, skills and life experience. Unlike unconditional ones, most of them are individual for each person, therefore, they are more complex. This is ensured by the individuality of life experience and its perception in each individual. Nevertheless, due to the unity of the formation mechanisms, extremely similar sets of reflex reactions can develop in different people. Some examples related to newborns:
- When breastfeeding at certain hours for about a week, the baby begins to form a reflex arousal of hunger before taking milk.
- When feeding a baby in the same position for two weeks, the baby also begins to form a certain reaction. If you pick up the baby in the feeding position, he will begin to make sucking movements.
Innate reflexes
Congenital reflexes help the newborn survive at first and form acquired ones, allowing them to respond more diversely to various environmental factors. Some of the innate reflexes remain forever, others fade with time.
The unconditioned reflexes of infants are divided into segmental (provide nutrition and basic movements) and suprasegmental (regulate muscle tone based on the position of the body and head). In turn, segmental reflexes are divided into oral and spinal reflexes.
Oral. Let the child eat. These include:
- Sucking.
- Swallowing.
- Proboscis.
- Palmo-oral.
- Search engine.
Spinal. Responsible for the formation of the muscular apparatus. Represented by the following reflexes:
- Baby protective reflex.
- Reflex support, extension and automatic walking.
- Crawling reflex.
- Grab reflexes.
- Hug reflex.
- Galant reflex.
- Perez reflex.
Suprasegmental include:
- Asymmetric cervical tonic reflex.
- Symmetrical tonic cervical.
- Tonic labyrinth.
Some reactions form a few months after birth and fade away later in life. These include:
- Labyrinth setting reflex.
- Nervical rectifying response.
- Trunk rectifying response.
- Rectifying trunk reflex.
- Defensive hand reaction.
- Landau reflex.
- Rectification and balance reactions.
It is very important to know if babies have the reflexes described above. A delay in the appearance of these reflexes may indicate the presence of abnormalities in the development of the child. Their late decay tells the same story.
Landau reflex in newborns
It is an important indicator of the level of physical development of the child, as well as the presence / absence of severe nervous diseases. The Landau reflex isa key element in the gradual formation of the vertical position of the child's body and preparing him for upright walking. The first signs of the formation of this reflex are observed from two months, but it is most pronounced later, at five or six. The extinction of the reflex occurs in the second year of life. The Landau reflex consists of phases that form at different stages of life, also called the upper (first phase) and lower reflexes (second phase) Landau. The absence of these reflexes and the delay in their formation indicate problems in the development of the nervous system.
- The upper Landau reflex is formed in a child at the age of five to six months. It provides lifting of the upper half of the body, extension of the arms and neck. To identify it, it is necessary to put the baby with his stomach on the edge of the table so that his chest is beyond the edge. In this position, the back, neck and arms should be extended back. Sometimes, due to the action of the protective reflex of the newborn, the baby's head may turn to the side. Over time, the upper Landau reflex disappears. The child should be able to stay in this position for one to two minutes.
- The lower Landau reflex is formed later, at eight to ten months, and is a complicated version of the upper reflex. To identify it, the doctor takes the child in his arms or lays him on a flat surface so that his pelvis and legs are not supported. In this case, a he althy and developed child will lift up the lower limbs and may arch the back.
When checking the upper and lower Landau reflex in a baby, the doctor shouldpay close attention to the severity of its manifestations. So, during the first phase, the child's head should be in the midline. The same can be said about the position of the legs during the second phase. Holding the reflex posture should last at least a minute. If these conditions are not met, it is recommended to undergo a deeper examination for the presence of birth injuries and developmental abnormalities. A photo of the Landau reflex is presented below.
Missing reflex
The absence of manifestations of this reflex clearly indicates the presence of certain disorders in the development of the child. In this case, it is recommended to stimulate the reflex with a special training.
In addition, a survey is urgently needed, as a similar picture is observed, among other things, in infantile cerebral palsy (ICP), which occurs as a result of brain damage at the time of its development.
Reflex stimulation
The most effective is the stimulation of the Landau reflex in children with a ball. There are several principles of stimulation:
- The child should be placed on the ball with his stomach down and massaged at the paravertebral points of various parts of the spine.
- At the same time, the second person gently rocks the ball, paying attention to the position of the limbs and shoulder blades.
- You need to draw the child's attention to any object located above the level of his head.
- It is advisable to conduct classes in front of a mirror in order to fix the child's position scheme optically.
The first phase exercise is repeated 3-4 times, each for 30-90 seconds.
Before working out the second phase, you need to make sure that the gluteal muscles are functionally active, as well as that the extension and abduction of the hips are viable. The incentive principles of the second phase are as follows:
- Before the exercise, you need to deep massage the buttocks. In parallel with this, a relaxing massage is performed on the same muscles.
- Next, they begin to alternately work out hip extensions in the prone position.
- It is recommended to train using brush and stroke massage of the buttocks.
- Finally, direct reflex training is carried out from a position on the edge of the table, with legs down.
Complete completion of the formation of the reflex is possible only in the case of the appearance of lordosis in the lumbar region, and extensor tone of the pelvic muscles.
Diagnosis of cerebral palsy
As mentioned above, the absence of the Landau reflex is one of the signals of the possible presence of cerebral palsy. Therefore, it is necessary to be aware of other signs of this disease.
Depending on the degree of damage to the child's brain, the symptoms of cerebral palsy manifest themselves in different ways. Summarizing the picture of the disease, the following key signs of pathology can be distinguished:
- Tension (including spasmodic) of the muscles throughout the body.
- Movement violations.
- Decreased mobility.
Also, signs of cerebral palsy vary depending on the age of the child. Needtake into account that this pathology does not progress, due to the punctate lesions of the brain area. The illusion of deterioration is caused by the fact that at different ages the symptoms may be less noticeable due to the child's non-attendance at preschool institutions and the inability to walk. Signs of illness in infants of different ages are as follows:
- In newly born children, signs of paralysis are movement disorders. So, a baby with cerebral palsy can move the limbs of only one side of the body, while the opposite ones are pressed to the body. There are problems when turning the head or pushing the legs of the child. When trying to hit his mouth with a clenched fist, he turns his head in the opposite direction.
- At the age of one month, a child with paralysis is usually restless, does not smile, does not hold his head, does not focus on any one object. Often, swallowing and sucking reflexes are difficult, involuntary shudders and convulsions occur.
- At the age of three months, a child with cerebral palsy retains congenital (absolute) reflexes that should have disappeared by this age. These include palmar, step and other similar reflexes. The child is still unable to hold his head up and does not try to roll over.
- At four months, a he althy baby moves actively, smiles, reacts to the mother. At the same time, a child with cerebral palsy is lethargic, often holding objects with one hand.
- At six months, he althy children can most often hold their heads on their own, crawl and roll over, swallow from a spoon and mug, pronounce individual syllables. Children with paralysis haveproblems with the above actions, there is weakness, sleep problems, anxiety, increased muscle tone.
- At the age of nine months, a child with cerebral palsy, unlike a he althy child, is not able to hold objects in his hands for a long time, does not show a desire to walk, does not sit well and often falls on his side. In the case of normal development during this period, he moves independently, tries to get up, tries to pronounce syllables and words, name his favorite toys.
With all this, you need to clearly understand that the above signs do not indicate the presence of cerebral palsy in a child with one hundred percent probability. However, their presence clearly indicates problems in development. Therefore, if these signs appear, you should immediately go to the doctor! Fortunately, if statistics are to be believed, more than half of the children with paralysis who are diagnosed and treated in the first year of life are able to arrange a normal life and almost do not differ from their peers.
Forms of cerebral palsy
The degree of damage to the nervous system can be different. Therefore, the manifestations of cerebral palsy can be completely different. Depending on the clinical cratin, several forms of this pathology are distinguished:
- Hyperkinetic form. If the muscle tone of the child is different at different times, he is given this diagnosis. In the normal state, awkward, and sweeping, sometimes uncontrollable movements are observed. There are hearing and speech disorders. Mental work is not disturbed.
- Atonic-astatic form. In this form, muscle tone is so low that the child is unable to sit orstand. The development of intelligence occurs with delays, oligophrenia is often diagnosed. This variant of cerebral palsy develops in case of damage to the frontal lobes and cerebellum.
- Spastic diplegia. The most common form. Muscle function is severely impaired. The legs are more affected. There is a deformation of the joints and spine. Violations of speech, psyche, vision are clearly expressed. However, with timely and sufficient rehabilitation measures, the child is able to adapt to life in society.
- Spastic tetraparesis (tetraplegia). It is caused by damage to most parts of the brain. There are paralysis in all limbs, epilepsy and mental retardation. There are hearing, vision and movement problems.
- Atactic form. Occurs rarely. Manifested in violation of coordination of movements and balance. Tremors and mild mental retardation are common.
- Spastic-hyperkinetic (dyskinetic) form. In this case, there is a combination of high muscle tone and uncontrolled movements with various forms of paralysis. Mental development vulgarity corresponds to age.
- Hemiplegic form. It is characterized by paralysis of only one side of the body (the so-called hemiparesis). There is also increased muscle tone on the affected side. Involuntary movements also occur. There are developmental disorders and epilepsy.
Causes of cerebral palsy
The main cause of cerebral palsy in children is pathological abnormalities inbrain development. There are many factors that can influence the formation of such a problem. Here are some of them:
- The presence of infections in the mother's body throughout the entire period of bearing a child (most often we are talking about toxoplasmosis, herpes, etc.).
- Impaired brain formation during embryonic development.
- The incompatibility of the blood of mother and child, caused by the difference in Rh factors. Causes hemolytic disease of the newborn.
- Oxygen starvation of the fetus. May be caused by malposition of the fetus, difficult labor, entanglement of the umbilical cord around the neck.
- Somatic and hormonal diseases of the mother.
- Protracted and difficult labor that caused trauma to the baby.
- Destruction of the mother's body by toxins, diseases affecting the child's brain.
As a rule, the leading role in the formation of paralysis belongs to oxygen starvation in combination with other factors that enhance its effect.
Therapy for cerebral palsy
It is necessary to start treatment of cerebral palsy immediately after the detection of the disease. This will help the child to adapt to life in society as much as possible. Treatment consists of the following set of measures:
- Therapeutic exercise. A set of daily physical exercises, selected together with a doctor.
- Massage. Special massage for cerebral palsy, performed only by a specialist.
- Drug treatment. In cerebral palsy, vitamin complexes, drugs to improve metabolism, neuroprotectors are used(prevent neuronal damage) and muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants).
- Speech therapy work. Lets put the child's speech.
- Operations. They are carried out only at an older age, with the ineffectiveness of other methods of treatment. Basically, operations are performed to improve joint mobility.
- Taping. Use of a special patch. It is attached for several days to reduce pain and increase mobility in a specific area of the body.
Prevention of brain development disorders
Based on the above picture of cerebral palsy, the issue of preventing such pathologies becomes especially relevant. Unfortunately, no one is immune from accidents, such as tugging the neck with the umbilical cord or trauma during childbirth, but there are measures to reduce the likelihood of developing such pathologies due to environmental factors.
- A he althy lifestyle is mandatory for a mother, including proper nutrition, sufficient physical activity, hygiene, prevention of stress and disease, and the rejection of bad habits.
- The future mother should be protected as much as possible from contact with chemicals, if necessary, change the place of residence to a more environmentally friendly one.
Following these simple tips will significantly increase the likelihood of having a he althy baby.
