No rooting reflex

[MrsBoudica]

My four week old has never shown any signs of a rooting reflex, I worried something could be very wrong with her.

 

[Farie]

What does your m/w and hv say?
Does she latch and suck ok? If your worried I'd get her to a pediatrian asap, although if she's feeding ok I would suspect the reflex is there, just not strong.

 

[MrsBoudica]

Due to complications in first week she bottle feds but has a really strong sucking reflex and feeds fine. She shows no reaction to her cheek being stroked at all though, absolutely none. We had 4 different m/ws after birth and not one tested it and h/v hasn't either, seeing her tomorrow so will ask her then, even paediatricians who saw her in Childrens Hospital on day 3 didn't check, but checked all other reflexes however they never checked hand to mouth reflex either, I just tried it on her and nothing, she is asleep though, does that make a difference? She's happy and healthy in all other ways, Worried as it may be a sign of a neurological problem, it's been linked to autism too.

 

[stardust599]

Wait until she's hungry and tickle the side of her mouth with the bottle teat, she should root for it. Macy never really showed any signs either (and she couldn't latch!) but now she's started to eat her hands when she's hungry and mouth around for her dummy when she wants it xxx

 

[MrsBoudica]

Next feed due in an hour so I'll try that then, she does suck on her hands when she's hungry and likes a dummy sometimes too although sometimes she sucks so hard it shoots out! I'm just paranoid, but I've had this feeling that something was not quite right ever since she was born.

 

[AbbyLynn2003]

Did you ever get some answers? My 4 week old also has no rooting reflex when you touch her cheek except when she is Hungry. Very worried

 

[noon_child]

My mum told me about the cheek thing when I was struggling to get my LO to latch and didn't notice her particularly react to it. I think paediatricians will test the ones they know are important so maybe it isn't always clear or strong in all babies? My LO os now 5yrs old and fine.

 

[jessmke]

My daughter latched and fed well from birth, but never really showed much of a reaction to having her cheek stroked.