What is the name of the reflex where touch on the palm causes the hand to close into a fist?

• A. Grasping reflex
• B. Rooting reflex
• C. Moro reflex
• D. Babinski reflex

Answer: (A)

This question focuses on the palmar grasp reflex, a primitive reflex in babies. When the palm is touched or an object is placed in the hand, the fingers naturally curl around it and the hand closes into a fist. This reflex is produced by simple neural circuits that respond to touch, serving as an early, automatic grasp before voluntary control develops. Over the first several months, around 4 to 6 months, this reflex gradually disappears as the child gains conscious, coordinated hand movements.

Other common reflexes in infancy produce different responses: the rooting reflex causes the head to turn toward a touch on the cheek, the Moro reflex involves a sudden arm movement in response to a loud noise or drop, and the Babinski reflex is a upward curl of the big toe when the sole is stroked. These are distinct patterns of movement that help indicate typical nervous system development.