Primitive Reflexes and How They Can Affect Your Child
Primitive reflexes are those reflexes that develop in a newborn to help a child survive and develop. These automatic movements are necessary for helping a child navigate the world around them when their brain is still developing.
Primitive reflexes integrate or dissipate, at a certain period in a child’s development as they are no longer needed. For example, a child no longer needs to automatically turn their head towards a food source or startle and hold on to their mother. When the reflexes do not integrate, they can, in some cases, affect a child's motor skills and cause sensory sensitivity.
However, retaining primitive reflexes does not always affect a child’s functionality and participation, so it’s important to consult your child’s occupational therapist if you have concerns.
Common Primitive Reflexes
Some primitive reflexes are very obvious, such as the palmar grasp or the rooting reflex, and others are a bit more difficult to notice. You will see that many reflexes have similar effects when retained, which is why it is important to see a pediatrician or occupational therapist if you are concerned that your child may have retained reflexes that are affecting them.
We’ve listed some of the most common primitive reflexes below. You can read more about these and other primitive reflexes here; otherwise, please see below for a brief overview of some of the most common reflexes and possible effects if they are retained.
Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR): assist the baby in rotation to properly get through the birth canal. Also assists with bilateral movements.
Retention: affects fine motor skills and balance. Problems with cross-body or bilateral movements.
Moro Reflex: also known as the startle reflex. This triggers a baby’s fight or flight response and allows it to cling to the mother for safety.
Retention: This can cause sensory sensitivity.
Palmar Grasp: automatic grasping of the hand when the palm is touched.
Retention: Affects fine motor skills, such as handwriting, grasp, and finger dexterity.
Rooting Reflex: Automatic turning of the head towards the touch. Helps with locating food sources, such as a bottle.
Retention: this can cause oral sensitivity and oral motor deficits.
Symmetric Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR): Necessary for crawling. A child will straighten or bend their arms or legs as their head moves.
Retention: can cause posture and muscle tone deficits.
As mentioned previously, retaining primitive reflexes does not always affect a child’s functionality and participation in daily activities. If your child has gross or fine motor deficits, it is not necessarily caused by retained reflexes. Many times, there is a combination of factors that can contribute to fine or gross motor performance as well as sensory sensitivity.
Reflex integration techniques are sometimes used to help these reflexes integrate. While these can be beneficial in certain circumstances when combined with typical interventions, they should not be applied alone unless an occupational therapist recommends them.
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Grogan, Alisha, MOT, OTR/L. “Why Your Child Might Need Reflex Integration Therapy or Exercises,” Your Kids Table, accessed 27 January 2023, https://yourkidstable.com/reflex-integration-therapy/
Heidenreich, Samantha, OTD, MOT. “Understanding Primitive Reflexes: How They Impact Child Development and Intervention Strategies for Integration,” OccupationalTherapy.com, 6 May 2021, https://www.occupationaltherapy.com/articles/understanding-primitive-reflexes-they-impact-5409-5409