The automatic response of an infant three to 12 months old, when laid face downward, to raise the head and arch the back; absence of this reflex can suggest possible problems that affect motor skills, such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation.
An infantile reflex in which the body flexes when the head is passively flexed forward in a prone position. It appears normally at 3 months and is absent in children with cerebral palsy and gross motor retardation.