Role of prenatal position in grasp-reflex asymmetry in human neonates.
Grasp-reflex strengths were quantitatively measured from the right and left hands of 70 full-term human neonates. The right-left grasp-reflex linearly correlated with grasp-reflex only of the right hand in neonates with a right-ear-facing-out prenatal position. In neonates with left-ear-facing-out prenatal position, this grasp-reflex linearly increased with the grasp-reflex of the right hand and linearly decreased with the grasp reflex of the left hand. It was suggested that grasp-reflex asymmetry in neonates may, at least partly, depend upon prenatal position, which may also influence the later developing hand preference in humans.
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Department of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D007746:Labor Presentation; D008297:Male; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*