The stepping/walking/dancing reflex lasts until about 2 months of age. Providers will sometimes check for this normal neurological function when doing an exam.
Could your baby walk at birth?
Reflexes are instinctive responses to stimuli. Your baby doesn’t think about how to respond to a stimulus — they just react.
Your little one’s list of newborn reflexes will include:
•grasp reflex
•fencing reflex
•startle reflex, also known as the Moro reflex
•Babinski reflex
•Galant reflex, also known as the truncal
•incurvation reflex
•rooting reflex
•walking Reflex
And you may react to their reaction in a variety of ways, from momentarily panicking to grabbing your camera.
One favorite is the stepping (or step) reflex. Imagine a tiny baby — much too young for walking — appearing to make stepping motions with their legs. Precious!
Let’s examine the stepping reflex, including why it seems to occur and how long you’ll be able to enjoy it.
You’ll recognize the stepping reflex when you hold your baby upright and see those little legs churn. If you hold your baby upright immediately above a flat surface, your baby may stretch their legs toward the surface.
Watch as your baby touches one foot down, then pulls the foot up and puts the other one down. Essentially, it looks like your baby is trying to take steps.
Your baby isn’t actually trying to walk, but the motion mimics the motion that we make with our legs when we walk
The stepping reflex tends to disappear around month 2 or 3, so that knowledge may help you relax if you notice one day that your baby’s not showing signs of it anymore.
Rest assured, when stepping returns, it will be intentional and weight-bearing.
Some reflexes that appear during infancy last into adulthood. For example the cough, gag, yawn, sneeze, and blink reflexes all last into adulthood.
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