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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.
a normal response in newborns when the cheek is touched or stroked along the side of the mouth to turn the head toward the stimulated side and begin to suck. The reflex disappears by 3 to 4 months of age but in some infants may persist until 12 months of age.