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
It only seems strong because babies put 100% of their effort into gripping things by reflex. Watch some videos of a baby holding on to a bar and hanging. After a few seconds, the Palmar Grasp Reflex ends and the grip fails. Even if their forearms are in pain, there is no “let go” option for them, just grip failure. They are not choosing to hold on or let go, it is reflex.
Our biological ancestors likely had a stronger version of this reflex, and relied on it. For Homo Sapiens, it is a vestigial curiosity.
The more impressive thing that babies do is cry – loudly and often. That’s a lot of air for such a small creature to be moving so rapidly. Nothing vestigial about that! Crying strengthens the lungs and diaphragm in early days. If babies didn’t cry regularly, they would end up weaker overall. So bear it with dignity, parents!
Latest Answers