Curious as to how babies have such a strong grip on things they get their hands on even at such a young age
In: Biology
Other infant apes have to have a strong enough grip to hold on to their mothers while they climb and jump through the trees. It was necessary for survival. Human infants still retain some of this grip strength.
They’re “weak” not from lacking muscle, but from lacking coordination to use that muscle effectively.
But since gripping hands is an evolutionary development (explained well enough in another comment), the neurons to do that are established without practicing the moments (the equivalent of working out).
Humans, as former tree dwelling creatures, have incredible grip strength. Though weak, comparatively overall, humans retain the grip reflex. Babies most of all.
Babies must maintain attachment to their mothers to survive. As such, they grip.
Part of why the seem particularly strong is because they lack enough practice to find tune their grip. When we pick things up we know how little pressure is required for that item while infants just clamp down
Small hands with short distances required less muscle to overcome the leverage. Longer hands required more muscle. Though o do think it’s comparative not that strong. Impressive for a baby.
Ever seen baby orangutans or chimps hanging onto their mother’s fur for dear life? Human babies have that same innate reflex/ability to strongly grip things.
Everyone is forgetting a psychological factor here.
They feel strong because when you try to remove them you are obviously trying delicately and not with your full force.
Its the same as its feels like your pets are quite strong when they grip down on something. You could super easily fling your cat through the room, but obviously don’t want to hurt it.
Newborns have a distinct set of natural reflexes that are developed in the womb and which they lose during the first few months of life. Pediatricians test for them to make sure the neurological system is developing accordingly; if any anomalies are noticed (for example, during the “stepping reflex” Baby moves both feet simultaneously rather than alternately) it could be a red flag. [This video demonstrates those reflexes](https://youtu.be/0vrdkzOnGgo?si=qPubRz2ebj7vCjBs).
It’s a bit stronger than you’d expect but that’s really just the mechanics of how a hand is shaped. We can generate a lot of grip with a relatively small amount of muscle. A babies grip is not really that strong. You could easily pull your hand away. The tricky part is doing it delicately which is what makes it seem like they have a really good grip
There is a theory that humans have left head fur so that the baby has something to grap onto.
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