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Moro reflex

1 reply

ct148 · 19/04/2012 15:39

Does anyone know when the startle reflex is supposed to completely disappear?

At bedtime I breastfeed my DS who is 7.5 months and hold him until he falls asleep, then gently lay him down in his cot (in the hope that he doesnt immediately wake up and start crying to be picked back up - I know, bad habits and all that...)

Anyway, if I manage to put him down without him waking he usually wakes up within minutes with a startle reflex - when I've stood watching him it happens loads...like every 10 secs or something. Is this all normal at this age because I thought the moro reflex was generally something that happened to younger babies?

He was swaddled until 6 months, but in the last month or so have taken him out of his woombie so his arms are free, basically because we started trying to get him in his cot at 6 months and didnt want him rolling whilst swaddled. but he did sleep better whilst swaddled, thats why it was so tempting to leave him in his woombie for so long.

should i have stopped his swaddling earlier and thats why his reflex is still bad, or do some babies just hold onto it longer?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Pocketsocks · 19/04/2012 20:26

As far as I recall it starts to go at about 4 months although a quick check online states 3- 6 months as an average.
I don't think it's something you can be held to blame for so don't worry about swaddling for longer, but I would get the opinion of a GP as to why it's happening still just in case it is something other than moro reflex.
Whilst it's been a while since DS2 was that small I'd be thinking at nearly 8 months it's something I'd expected to have been grown out of happening regularly.

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