A neonate is born with a number of reflexes – unlearned, involuntary responses that occur automatically in the presence of center stimuli.
Critical for survival, many of those reflexes unfold naturally as part of an infant’s ongoing maturation. The rooting reflex, for instance causes neonates to turn their heads toward things that touch their cheeks – such as the mother’s nipple or a bottle. Similarly, a sucking reflex prompts infants to suck at things that touch their lips.