The plantar reflex of the newborn.

IN 1896 Babinski1 described his renowned pathologic reflex and also stated that "tickling the foot normally provokes extension in the toes of newborns." Most modern pediatric textbooks2 , 3 proffer his views as fact, but a search of the literature reveals that the data to support this observation are conflicting and inconclusive.4 5 6 We therefore decided that a clear definition of the newborn plantar response is necessary. Methods and Materials One hundred infants admitted to the West Virginia University Hospital newborn nursery over a two-month period were examined. The ages varied from two hours to seven days. All the babies in the nursery, . . .