What are Primitive Reflexes?
At birth, primitive reflexes are like built-in survival tools already working to keep your newborn safe and support their growth. Many even develop while they’re still in utero. These reflexes are the building blocks for everything that comes next in a child’s development.
The cool part? These reflexes aren’t meant to stick around forever. They should start integrating (fading away) around 12 months, although some may stick around until age two or three.
As these reflexes integrate, they make space for more advanced movement patterns and skills to emerge. This is like laying down the foundation for higher-level learning. For example, a baby first has to gain control over their head and neck before they can sit up independently. Without this basic control, sitting upright is impossible.
When a reflex doesn’t integrate, it can slow down that crucial development process, which is why tummy time and other developmental milestones are so important!
Why Should Primitive Reflexes Be Integrated?
When it comes to helping children thrive, OTs can support various important areas like self-care, social skills, motor development, and sensory integration. But did you know that retained primitive reflexes can play a big role in how children navigate these skills?
These reflexes, often gone unnoticed, can impact everything from how a child moves to how they interact with others.
Potential Symptoms of Retained Primitive Reflexes (Note: This is not a diagnostic measure)
- Anxiety
- Motion sickness/car sickness
- Clumsiness
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Poor right/left discrimination after the age of 8
- Challenges with reading at age level
- Poor handwriting at age level
- Low muscle tone
- Decreased coordination with sporting activities
- Challenges with sequencing
- W-sitting and/or toe walking
- Challenges sitting still
- Bedwetting past the age of 7
- Poor short-term memory
- Hypersensitivity to sound, touch, movement
- Speech and articulation challenges
- Picky eating and/or oral motor challenges
- Challenges with fine motor tasks at age level
- Diagnosis of Autism
- Early diagnosis of ADHD
What Are the 6 Common Reflexes?
While there are plenty of primitive reflexes out there, here are the six most commonly addressed in therapy:
- Moro Reflex
- Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
- Palmar Grasp Reflex
- Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
- Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)
- Spinal Galant Reflex
For a breakdown of each of these reflexes, please visit: Healthline – Primitive Reflexes.
Understanding and addressing these reflexes can help unlock a world of progress for children in therapy and in life! If you have any concerns about anything mentioned in this blog and would like to discuss further, please talk to one of our Occupational Therapists at MET Phys.
References:
Sigafoos, J., Roche, L., O’Reilly, M. F., & Lancioni, G. E. (2021). Persistence of Primitive Reflexes in Developmental Disorders.
Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 8(2), 98–105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-021-00232-2
Jaiswal, M., & Morankar, R. (2017). Understanding primitive reflexes and their role in growth and development: A review.
International Healthcare Research Journal, 1(8), 243-247.
