Retained primitive reflexes can lead to struggles related to disorders like ADHD, sensory processing disorder, autism, and learning disabilities.
What happens if reflexes are retained
If primitive reflexes are not inhibited, meaning that they are used and put to rest, then they can contribute to issues such as coordination, balance, sensory perceptions, fine motor skills, sleep, immunity, energy levels, impulse control, concentration, and all levels of social, emotional, and academic learning.
Primitive reflexes are involuntary motions that aid in the development of certain skills in babies for the birthing process and for survival after birth.
These reflexes should be integrated as the child’s motor development matures. If your child’s primitive reflexes are not inhibited, then it can lead to numerous behavioural and learning difficulties which are often mislabelled.
What are the primitive reflexes we are talking about?
Moro Reflex
The Moro reflex acts as a baby’s primitive fight/flight reaction and is typically replaced by the adult startle reflex by around four months of age. If a child experiences a retained Moro reflex beyond 4 months, they may become over sensitive and over-reactive to sensory stimulus, resulting in poor impulse control, sensory overload, anxiety and emotions, and social immaturity. Some additional signs of a retained Moro reflex are: motion sickness, poor balance, poor coordination, easily distracted, unable to adapt well to change, emotionally immature, auditory processing issues, motor development issues and mood swings.
Rooting Reflex
The rooting reflex assists in the act of feeding and is activated by stroking a baby’s cheek, causing them to turn and open their mouth. Retention of the rooting reflex beyond four months may result in difficulty with solid foods, messy eater, dribblers, poor articulation, speech and language issues, and thumb sucking.
Palmar Reflex
The palmar reflex is the automatic flexing of fingers to grab an object and should integrate by approximately six months. If the palmer reflex is retained, a child may have difficulty with fine motor skills, their tongue may hang out while writing and their handwriting maybe messy as they have difficulty with their pincer grip and social and learning difficulties.
ATNR
Asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR)that is exhibited as part of the development of muscle tone. It is initiated when laying babies on their back and turning their head to one side. The arm and leg of the side they’re looking should extend while the opposite side bends. This reflex serves as a precursor to hand-eye coordination and should stop by six months. A retained ATNR can affect children’s reading capabilities, hand-eye coordination, visual tracking, handwriting (including an excessively tight grip), translation of ideas into written text and often lead to dyslexia, delays in milestones, delayed crawling, difficulty crossing midline, and auditory processing issues.
Spinal Galant Reflex
The spinal galant reflex happens when the skin along the side of an infant’s back is stroked, the infant will swing towards the side that was stroked. This reflex helps with the birthing process and should inhibit between three and nine months. If it persists, it may affect a child’s posture, coordination attention, and ability to sit still. Retention of the spinal galant reflex is also associated with bedwetting.
TLR
The tonic labyrinthine reflex (TLR) is the basis for head management and helps prepare an infant for rolling over, creeping, crawling, standing, and walking. This reflex initiates when you tilt an infant’s head backward while placed on the back causing legs to stiffen, straighten, and toes to point. Hands also become fisted and elbows bend. It should integrate gradually as other systems mature and disappear by 3 1/2 years old. If retained, the TLR can lead to poor muscle tone, a tendency to walk on toes, motion sickness, poor sense of rhythm and timing, difficulty with directions, and poor balance.
Landau Reflex
The landau reflex assists with posture development and technically is not a primitive reflex as it is not present at birth. It is when a baby lifts his head up causing the entire trunk to flex and typically emerges at around 3 months of age. It is fully integrated by one year. If the landau reflex persists beyond this point, children may experience short-term memory problems, poor motor development, and low muscle tone.
STNR
Also known as the crawling reflex, symmetrical tonic neck reflex (STNR) is present briefly after birth and then reappears around six to nine months. This reflex helps the body divide in half at the midline to assist in crawling – as the head is brought towards chest, the arms bend, and legs extend. It should disappear by 11 months. If retained then children can experience developmental delays related to poor muscle tone, tendency to slump while sitting, and inability to sit still and concentrate, often it will be children who sit in a W position, often spider shufflers and bottom movers, poor balance, behavioural issues, difficulty sitting still and difficulty with synchronized movements like swimming.
Want to know more?
Contact us at littleschool.co.nz or lifelearning.co.nz
