Question

The moro reflex, when infants thrust their arms outward after suddenly losing support to their head and neck, may have the function of

Answer 1

The moro reflex, when infants thrust their arms outward after suddenly losing support to their head and neck, may have the function of protecting from falling of extending their limbs to gain support to grasp an object, it may be an inherited function from non-human ancestors

Moro reflex is an automatic response by a human infant to lose its support in order to extend their limbs to catch hold of something; this is ideally seen in monkeys that move from branch to branch for its survival.

Answer 2

The Moro reflex, when infants thrust their arms outward after suddenly losing support to their head and neck, may have the function of protection from falling.

It might be a survival instinct to help the infant cling to its mother. The significance of the Moro reflex is in evaluating integration of the central nervous system (CNS).