The Palmar reflex appears at 11 weeks in utero is fully present at birth and integrates between 2-3 months of age. The Palmar reflex is part of a group of reflexes whose job it is to grasp on to things. If you push the palm of the hand lightly, the baby’s hand will close the fingers. There is a huge connection between sucking and hand movement (the Babkin response). In older life you can still see children move their lips or mouth when writing, demonstrating this connection between the hand and mouth. If the Palmar reflex is retained, the later development of the hands and fingers will not progress as it should. This will result in poor fine motor control, including the lack of the “pincer” grasp that school occupational therapists are always so concerned about. There may be a presence of speech problems (related to the connection of the hand and mouth), and the child’s hands may be hypersensitive to touch and other stimuli.