otolith righting reflex

otolith righting reflex [Gk, ous + lithos, stone] , an involuntary response in newborns in which tilting of the body when the infant is in an erect position causes the head to return to the upright position. The reflex enables the infant to raise the head and is important for development of later gross motor skills. Absence of the reflex may indicate central nervous system damage.