HOSA Human Growth and Development Practice Test 2025 – The All-in-One Guide to Achieve Exam Success!

Primitive reflexes play a crucial role in infant development primarily because they contribute to survival mechanisms. These reflexes, such as the rooting reflex that enables an infant to find and latch onto the breast for feeding, are instinctive responses to certain stimuli that are essential for an infant's immediate needs. For example, the startle reflex helps to protect the infant from perceived threats, prompting them to react to loud noises or sudden movements. Such reflexes are fundamental for basic survival during the early stages of life, as they facilitate feeding, protection, and eventual exploration of their environment.

While muscle growth, social skills, and other developmental aspects are important, they do not hinge as directly on primitive reflexes as survival does. The relationship between primitive reflexes and survival helps ensure that infants can thrive in their initial months, laying the foundational groundwork for more complex behaviors and skills as they grow.