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The sucking reflex seems to belong with the rooting reflex. It is present before birth, and also aids in breastfeeding. It causes the child to instinctively begin to suck on anything that touches the roof of their mouth. This reflex is common to mammals, and specifically designed to express milk through the breastfeeding process. There are two stages to the action.
One such reflex is a cough. This is typically triggered when the larynx senses that something has penetrated this upper portion of the airway. The cough, then, acts as a protective mechanism, serving to cough out or expel something at risk for being inhaled. There are normal reflexive thresholds or âtriggersâ that exist in the larynx. When these thresholds are lowered (i.e., more sensitive), less stimulation is required to trigger a cough.