Baby’s Extrusion Reflex – What It Means for Their Development

What is the Extrusion Reflex?

Extrusion Reflex, commonly known as tongue-thrust reflex, is a kind of infantile reflex exhibited by newborns between 4-6 months old. It is an involuntary action exhibited by babies to show their resistance to solid or semi-solid foods, as he/she is not prepared to accept solid foods at this stage. Your baby’s swallowing capacity may not have developed properly, due to which, he/she spits out whatever you feed him/her.

In this reflex, babies move their tongues forward while touching their lips, and they start showing this reflex when they are introduced to solid foods.

Why do babies do this?

Babies thrust their tongues forward to show their rebellion towards solid food. They spit out the solid foods as part of this extrusion reflex. As a new parent, this can get quite frustrating, as you tend to worry a lot when your baby keeps spitting whatever formula feed, soft foods, or cereals you may feed him/her.

However, according to experts, this is not a serious condition at all. Most babies grow out of this reflex when they are 6 months old. All you need to do is be patient with your baby when he/she exhibits this reflex. When your child spits the first few spoons of food, continue breastfeeding or giving formula feed your baby is comfortable with. Introduce the same solid foods to him/her after a week, and your baby may be more willing to accept them.

Does your baby have an Extrusion Reflex?

As you can see, your baby’s extrusion reflex tells you a lot about his/her body’s development and ability to accept solid foods. How do you know if your baby has this reflex, and how to understand when he/she has grown out of it? Here is a simple tip to try at home —

Try offering a spoon to your baby in an attempt to feed him/her. You can take an empty spoon near his/her mouth or add some soft cereals mixed with breastmilk or formula milk. Watch how your baby reacts when you take the spoon near him/her. If your baby thrusts his/her tongue out and moves away from the spoon, he/she still exhibits the extrusion reflex. However, if your baby is eager to accept the food and moves his/her head toward the spoon, he/she has grown out of the extrusion reflex.

Do you need to consult a doctor?

In some rare cases, the extrusion reflex may last in babies even beyond a year. If you notice the same in your baby, please seek medical help right away. The longer this reflex lasts in babies, the higher the chances of your baby being diagnosed with tooth misalignment or a lisp while speaking.