Leonard is changing his four-month-old son’s diaper, and afterwards he gets him into his pajamas. While easing the little guy’s
foot into the sleeper, he inadvertently strokes the boy’s foot and is surprised to see the toes immediately fan out. He does it again to the other foot, and gets the same response. Leonard has accidently stumbled upon his son’s ____ reflex.
The Babinski Reflex, also called the Babinski Sign, is a reflex in which the toes extend and then open in a fan-like motion. This problem is usually caused by a stimulus that arches from the side of the foot to the base of the first toe. It is common in newborns and young children, where the neurological system is not yet mature, but in adults and older children it indicates a brain or spinal cord problem. If it is present on only one foot, it can also indicate which side of the brain is involved.
