Moro reflex and rooting reflex: what your newborn's startle and head turn mean

The Moro reflex and the rooting reflex are two automatic movements your newborn is born with. In the Moro, or startle, reflex your baby flings the arms and legs out after a loud sound or a sudden drop of the head, then pulls them back in, often with a cry. In rooting, your baby turns toward a touch on the cheek and opens the mouth to feed. Both are normal and fade in the first months.

What the Moro reflex looks like

The AAP describes it like this: if your baby's head shifts suddenly or falls backward, or something loud startles them, they stretch out the arms, legs and neck, then quickly bring the arms back together. Many babies cry loudly at the same time. Cleveland Clinic adds that the arms reach out with the palms facing up and the thumbs sticking out.

It can be set off by small things. An NHS maternity unit notes that a baby's own cry can trigger it.

You can soften it. HealthHub says swaddled babies startle less, wake less often and sleep longer, and suggests avoiding sudden loud noises, very bright lights and pulling the wrap open abruptly. See swaddling for how to wrap safely.

Rooting and sucking, the feeding reflexes

Rooting is a feeding reflex. Cleveland Clinic says that when you lightly stroke your baby's cheek or mouth, they turn their head toward your hand, open the mouth and start making sucking movements. The AAP says this helps your baby find the nipple.

It is also one of the clearest hunger cues. HealthHub's breastfeeding advice is to feed your baby when you see a strong rooting reflex, or when your baby moves toward your finger placed near the corner of the mouth. HealthHub also notes that rooting when you pick your baby up is a late sign of hunger, so try to respond to the earlier cues. If feeds are a struggle, read about the breastfeeding latch.

The sucking reflex works with it. Cleveland Clinic says sucking is natural but not easy, because your newborn has to learn to suck, breathe and swallow at the same time.

When the reflexes fade

These reflexes are meant to go. The AAP says the Moro reflex usually peaks in the first month and starts to disappear after about two months, and its table puts rooting at about 4 months. Cleveland Clinic says the Moro and stepping reflexes should be gone by 2 months, that most newborn reflexes go by four to six months, and that all should be gone by the first birthday.

As they fade, your baby starts moving on purpose. An NHS maternity unit says every newborn reflex except sucking is lost within a few months, replaced by controlled movement. Rooting turns into your baby simply moving the head and mouth into position to feed, the AAP says.

What doctors look for

Reflexes are part of every newborn check. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby, the Australian government health service, says the doctor or midwife checks sucking, rooting, Moro and grasp at the standard newborn checks, and Cleveland Clinic says the strength of these reflexes is a sign of how the nervous system is developing. In Singapore, NUH says growth and development are assessed at each well-baby visit.

Tell your doctor if a reflex looks different on one side. The AAP says the Moro reflex should be present equally on both sides of the body, and to tell your paediatrician if one side moves better than the other. Cleveland Clinic notes that a startle can look like infantile spasms, a type of seizure, so ask if you are unsure what you are seeing. Our baby milestones guide covers what comes next.

Frequently asked questions

What triggers the Moro reflex?

A loud noise, a sudden movement, or your baby's head dropping backward. An NHS maternity unit says even your baby's own cry can set it off.

When does the Moro reflex stop?

The AAP says it peaks in the first month and starts to disappear after about two months. Cleveland Clinic says it should be gone by 2 months.

What is the rooting reflex?

When you stroke your baby's cheek or mouth, they turn toward the touch and open the mouth to feed. The AAP says it fades by about 4 months.

Does swaddling stop the startle reflex?

It calms it. HealthHub says swaddled babies startle less and sleep longer. Stop swaddling once your baby can flip or turn over, HealthHub says.

Related terms

• Swaddling: Wrapping a newborn snugly in a thin cloth to calm the startle reflex. Always on the back, loose at the hips.
• Latch: How your baby attaches to the breast to feed. A deep latch takes in the areola as well as the nipple.
• Neonate (Newborn): The medical word for a newborn baby in the first 28 days of life.
• Tummy Time: Awake, supervised time your baby spends lying on the front, to build neck and back strength. Never for sleep.
• Cluster Feeding: When your baby feeds again and again over a few hours, usually in the evening. Normal, and it builds supply.

See every term in the glossary