Primitive reflexes are automatic movements, executed without thinking. They assist in the birthing process, are essential for the infant's survival in the first months of life, and provide training for many later skills.

Primitive reflexes are considered “aberrant,” however, if they remain active beyond age 6-12 months. They should be inhibited by the brain, allowing more sophisticated neural structures to develop.

The continued presence of primitive and postural reflexes is a sign of central nervous system immaturity, which can have a profound impact upon a child's development, learning and behavior.

Retained Reflexes

As babies mature, they develop postural reflexes that are much more mature patterns of reflexes to help control balance, coordination and sensorimotor development.

In some cases, babies retain their primitive reflexes past the first year of life because they fail to integrate them well with the rest of their nervous system.

These are called retained reflexes. This may happen when there is too much overload and stress for the nervous system to handle and process. Retained reflexes can be a sign of neurodevelopmental damage caused by trauma or an overload of toxicity and stressors.

Children with the following conditions often have retained primitive reflexes:

• Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD and ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Cerebral palsy
• Developmental delays
• Down Syndrome
• Dyslexia
• Dyspraxia and apraxia
• Hyperlexia
• Hypotonia and hypertonia
• Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy

• Learning disability
• Lyme disease
• Nonfatal drowning
• PANS/PANDAS
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Speech and language issues
• Strabismus and amblyopia
• Toe walking
• Trauma survival, including birth trauma

Read more about retained reflexes here.

The Importance of Retained Reflexes in Developmental Delays

Motor control lays the foundation for learning and self-control. We acquire new skills by moving our bodies intentionally. To track visually left to right, to shape consonants in the mouth, and to form letters, we need to have intentional control of the muscles involved.

When those muscles obey an unconscious reflex instead of responding to our intention, then the activity is confusing and cannot become an automatic learned skill.

Three retained reflexes are so important in children with developmental problems that they deserve special attention. These are the Moro, palmar and asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR). Read more here.