Babinski Reflex

What is Babinski Reflex?

This is a reflex that happens in infants with you firmly stroke the sole of their foot. It is an uncontrollable response. It is also called plantar reflex. By the age of two this reflex should have disappeared but if it presence in children older than two years of age and adults it could be a sign of a neurological disorder that could be affecting their spinal cord or brain. This reflex is named after French neurologist Joseph Babinski and is now a very useful diagnostic tool. When this reflex test is done the infants big toe will move upward and the other toes will fan out. The reflex can occur on one or both sides of the body. If the infant has an abnormal reflex it can be permanent or temporary.

Babinski Reflex Causes

As mentioned it is a normal reflex in a child under the age of two but if it is presence past this age some of the neurological or brain disorders that could be causing it may include:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig disease.  This is a disease of the nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain that control muscle movement that is voluntary.
• Having an injury to the brain.
• Having a tumor in the brain.
• Meningitis which is a bacterial infections of the membranes that cover your spinal cord and brain.
• Multiple sclerosis which is an autoimmune disease that affects their spinal cord and brain.
• Having a spinal cord defect or injury or tumor on the spinal cord.
• Stroke
• Friedreich’s Ataxia which is a rare disease that affects the heart and muscles and is inherited.
• Hepatic encephalopathy which is when their brain functions gets worse because the liver is no longer able to remove the toxic substances in their blood.
• Pernicious anemia which is when there is a decrease in your red blood cells that happens when vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed properly by your intestines.
• Rabies
• Syringomyelia which is damage to their spinal cord because of hole that is fluid-filled that forms in the spinal cord.

Babinski Reflex Treatment

When an older person has Babinski reflex they will often have difficulty with muscle control, be uncoordinated, and have weakness so it is very important to make sure they are safe and do not have any injuries. The only treatment is to make sure that their home environment is hazarded free. The physician will also treat the underlying cause of Babinski reflex in children past the age of two and adults.

Babinski Reflex Pictures