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| Babies Hold On Tight. This action is called the Grasp Reflex. |
The tiny feet, the cute fingers, the button nose, those innocent eyes – everything about a baby is so awesome that it is impossible to place your finger on the MOST AWESOME fact about a newborn baby. But if I had to absolutely choose one thing fact that leaves me awestruck, it would have to be your baby’s grip.
Did you know studies have proven that a newborn’s grip is tight enough for him/her to be able to sustain their own weight for a short time? Now, if that isn’t awesome, then what is!
The grasp reflex, as it is called, is perhaps one of the most instant reflexes that your baby will possess. All you have to do is place your finger on the center of your baby’s palm, and he/she will instantly clasp those tiny lil fingers around your finger.
Believe it or not, it is extremely tough to pry their hands off your fingers once they get a good grip on it. (Plus, let’s face it, we can’t get rough!).
As your baby grows older, the involuntary grasp reflex gets replaced by other actions that involve holding on at first, and then perhaps ‘throwing’, ‘dropping’ or ‘letting go’. These actions let them control their reflex, finally showing them that they are capable of controlling their actions.
If you are wondering how the grasp reflex helps the baby, there are certain independent studies conducted over the years that help in proving that babies find comfort in physical contact with a parent, especially the mother. Infant’s heartbeat rates have been known to be slower when they’re holding their mother’s fingers.
Let’s face it. We all know that our babies are going to be grown up and gone before we can say Yugoslavia. So you may as well enjoy the joy your lil one brings you while he/she holds on as tightly as can be!
Go Gaga over the grasp reflex.
Tip: If your baby’s fingers are clasped around yours, and you want to pry away (which we generally don’t want to do); you could try gently patting the back of your baby’s hand. He/she will automatically let go of your finger in a short while from then.
(If there’s any particular topic you’d like me to cover, or any questions you’d like me to answer, I’d be happy to help. Kindly leave a comment for me here, or send me an email on tee_tee87[at]ymail[dot]com.)
Alpha-fetoprotein is the name of a protein that is produced by the fetus’ liver. Conducting a blood test on the mother between her 16th and 18th week of pregnancy can help determine the level of alpha-fetoprotein. If the levels of AFP are higher than normal, it can be associated with spina bifida, a neural-tube birth defect. Lower levels of AFP could result in Down’s syndrome. 
