Which reflex is useful for assessing hearing in infants?

Which reflex is useful for assessing hearing in infants?

• A. Startle reflex.
• B. Babinski reflex.
• C. Moro reflex.
• D. Rooting reflex.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is using an infant’s natural reflex to gauge hearing. The acoustic startle reflex is triggered by a sudden loud sound and is an automatic, rapid response that relies on intact auditory pathways. When a normal infant hears the noise, you’ll typically see a quick blink and a brief, generalized body movement as the reflex kicks in. This makes the acoustic startle reflex a practical quick screen for hearing ability in newborns and young infants. The other reflexes serve different purposes: rooting is related to feeding and turning toward a touch near the mouth; Babinski is a sign of central nervous system maturation involving the plantar reflex; Moro is a protective reflex to sudden movement or loss of support, not a direct measure of hearing. While the Moro can be triggered by sudden stimuli, it isn’t used to assess hearing itself. So, the startle reflex best serves as a hearing assessment cue in infants.

The main idea here is using an infant’s natural reflex to gauge hearing. The acoustic startle reflex is triggered by a sudden loud sound and is an automatic, rapid response that relies on intact auditory pathways. When a normal infant hears the noise, you’ll typically see a quick blink and a brief, generalized body movement as the reflex kicks in. This makes the acoustic startle reflex a practical quick screen for hearing ability in newborns and young infants.

The other reflexes serve different purposes: rooting is related to feeding and turning toward a touch near the mouth; Babinski is a sign of central nervous system maturation involving the plantar reflex; Moro is a protective reflex to sudden movement or loss of support, not a direct measure of hearing. While the Moro can be triggered by sudden stimuli, it isn’t used to assess hearing itself. So, the startle reflex best serves as a hearing assessment cue in infants.