You are babysitting your 2-year-old nephew for the first time. while your back is turned, he touches his index finger to the pan you just took out of the oven. he pulls his finger away quickly, and a few seconds later begins to scream. why is his screaming delayed in comparison to pulling away his finger?

The reason why his screaming delayed in comparison to pulling away his finger is: The hand-withdrawal reflex involves only the spinal cord. Since this part hasn't still fully developed during that age group, it takes time before the information about pain reaches the brain, which cause the delay between the action and the scream