Reflex responses to appendicular compression in term newborn

REFLEX RESPONSES TO APPENDICULAR COMPRESSION IN TERM NEWBORN (ABSTRACT)^*. THESIS. PORTO ALEGRE, 2000.

FLEMING SALVADOR PEDROSO^**

The hand compression in newborns to cause the mouth opening response, the rotation of the neck, the flexion and/or extension of the limb. The mouth-opening response could occur following stimulation of the entire upper limb during the first few months of life in normal children. The reflexogenic area extended to the entire lower limb, in the children with neurologic pathology. These findings can indicate a poorer prognosis.

The main questioning is if the already established reflexic responses obtained by hand compression could also occur in other limb segments, in the same or different fashion.

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of reflexic responses triggered by compression stimuli of appendicular areas; compare the frequencies of the responses obtained and identify those with the best response. A cross sectional study was performed with a random sample of 106 normal term newborns, in the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, examined in the first 72 hours of life. From the results examination was assembled descriptive analysis and frequency estimates with 95% confidence interval for categorical variables. The comparison between frequencies obtained for the various appendicular segments was done with the chi-square test, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant.

The 5 most frequent reflexic responses were, in descending order: mouth opening (100%) and neck rotation (88.7%) to hand compression, extension of the upper limb (86.7%) and flexion of the lower limb (84.9%) to compression of the foot, and extension of the upper limb (77.4%) to compression of the leg. Considering as a group all the reflexic responses obtained in the 6 appendicular segments stimulated, one can state that the flexion of the lower limb was the most frequently encountered response, 305 times. Follow, in descending order: mouth opening 191 times; extension of the upper limb 187. Flexion of the lower limb associated with extension of the upper limb 147; rotation of neck 138. The segments studied as a group, one can state that the hand is the best segment among the 6 studied, with 532 positive responses. Follow in descending order of best response: foot 271; forearm 234; leg 218; arm 53 and thigh 50.

Upon compression of the 3 upper segments predominated reflexic responses of the head, neck and limb flexion, whereas upon compression of the 3 lower segments predominated reflexic responses of the lower limb, extension of upper limb and a combination of both. Whenever there was a response to non-stimulated limbs, this response was always symmetric, being 18.4 times more extensor than flexor in the upper limbs and 24.7 times more flexor than extensor when involving the lower limbs.

KEY WORDS: neurologic examination, primitive reflex, newborn.

**Address: Praça das Nações,61 / 306, 90690-230 Porto Alegre RS, Brasil

*

Respostas reflexas à compressão apendicular no recém-nascido de termo (Resumo). Tese de Doutorado, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Área: Neurologia Infantil). Orientadora: Newra Tellechea Rotta.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  05 Oct 2001
• Date of issue
  Sept 2001