Sucking reflex

The sucking reflex is an unconditional, i.e. innate, coordinated reflex movement in many young mammals , which is usually unlearned in the course of development. In humans, for example, the sucking reflex can be detected up to the end of the first year of life, but usually disappears by the end of the third month of life.

Sucking reflex in a young calf

The sucking reflex is triggered in the newborn when the lips and the tip of the tongue are touched. The term sucking reflex is misleading insofar as at least the calves of domestic cattle and human babies do not suck the milk out, but rather squeeze it out of the teat or nipple. The boy takes the teat in his mouth and presses it rhythmically against his hard palate, first with the tip of the tongue and continuously up to the base of the tongue. This empties the teat. By releasing the pressure, the teat can quickly fill up again ( ejection reflex ) and the process starts all over again. Bottle-fed human infants quickly learn to suck milk out rather than squeeze it. Then it is very difficult to get them used to the breast again.

It is not known how mammary gland emptying occurs in other species.

Anatomical basics

Various muscle groups and their innervating nerves are involved in the sucking reflex .

Oral floor muscles (including Musculus mylohyoideus , Musculus geniohyoideus , Musculus stylohyoideus , Musculus digastricus , Musculus genioglossus , Musculus hyoglossus , Musculus styloglossus )
Lip muscles (including orbicularis oris muscles )
Cheek muscles (including risorius muscle )
Tongue muscles (including external - Musculus genioglossus , Musculus hyoglossus , Musculus styloglossus ; internal - Musculus verticalis , Musculus longitudinalis , Musculus transversus linguae )

The afferent part of the conduction arch :

Maxillary nerve (V / 2)
Mandibular nerve (V / 3)

The efferent part of the pipe bend:

after the involvement of the medulla oblongata
Trigeminal nerve
Facial nerve
Hypoglossal nerve

literature

Daniela Biber: Early childhood dysphagia and drinking weaknesses: guidelines for diagnosis, management and therapy in everyday clinical practice. Springer, 2014, ISBN 978-3-642-44982-6 . P. 16.
Karin Götsch: General and Special Pathology. Thieme, 2011, ISBN 978-3-13-167932-1 , p. 58.
Horst Erich König: Anatomy of domestic mammals: textbook and color atlas for study and practice. Schattauer Verlag, 2012, ISBN 978-3-7945-2832-5 , p. 492.
Karl-Michael Haus: Neurophysiological treatment in adults: Basics of neurology, treatment concepts, understanding hemiplegia. Springer, 2014, ISBN 978-3-642-41929-4 , pp. 272 f.
Jean Piaget: The awakening of intelligence in the child. Klett-Cotta, 2003, ISBN 3-608-94371-4 , p. 35 ff.
Matthias Sitzer: Textbook Neurology. Urban & Fischer, 2011, ISBN 978-3-437-41442-8 , p. 37 f.
Karl Zilles, Bernhard Tillmann : Anatomy. Springer, 2011, ISBN 978-3-540-69483-0 , p. 568.

Individual evidence

↑ Karin Götsch: General and Special Pathology. Thieme, 2011, ISBN 978-3-13-167932-1 , p. 58.
^ ^A ^b Daniela Biber: Early childhood dysphagia and drinking weaknesses: guidelines for diagnosis, management and therapy in everyday clinical practice. Springer, 2014, ISBN 978-3-642-44982-6 , p. 16.
↑ Max Schneider: Introduction to Human Physiology. Springer, 1971, ISBN 3-662-06869-9 , p. 421.

[1] Karin Götsch: General and Special Pathology. Thieme, 2011, ISBN 978-3-13-167932-1 , p. 58.

[biber-2] A ^b Daniela Biber: Early childhood dysphagia and drinking weaknesses: guidelines for diagnosis, management and therapy in everyday clinical practice. Springer, 2014, ISBN 978-3-642-44982-6 , p. 16.

[3] Max Schneider: Introduction to Human Physiology. Springer, 1971, ISBN 3-662-06869-9 , p. 421.