Let’s talk about what infant reflexes are; how we can identify these movements in our child’s body and the effects this may be having on their other skills
Neurodevelopment refers to the development of the brain. But we cannot leave the body out of this – it is movement in the body, and connections between the two, that underlie this brain development, before and after we are born.
Our Central Nervous System – brain, spine and nerves reaching out – drives our body. Many messages are sent from the brain, through the spinal column, and carried in the nerves to the body, but many more messages are carried in the opposite direction, body to brain.
So brain development starts, and continues, because of what happens in the body.
The Pyramid of Learning (Taylor and Knott) shows how foundational the sensory systems of the body are:
- Tactile (touch)
- Vestibular (balance and position)
- Proprioceptive (concept of our body in our space)
- Interoceptive (internal body messages)
- Sound, sight, smell and taste.
Without these senses processing well, and accurately, any higher levels in the pyramid, like visual and auditory processing; emotion regulation and reading and writing skills will be hampered in some way.
What are primitive reflexes and when are they retained?
Difficulties in the skills of the upper levels of the pyramid have to be addressed by going to these lower levels.
Primitive reflex movements, which develop in babies before and soon after birth, work to develop their sensory processing skills, and if the baby has not had the opportunity to do a lot of these movements and then not these movement patterns have not integrated (disappeared or developed into more controlled movements), then the necessary connections between body and brain have not been formed. That’s when we may well see difficulties with higher level skills, like emotion regulation, coordination, forming friendships, reading and learning.
Primitive reflexes reside in the primitive part of the brain, the brain stem, and when these movements remain in the body, that part of the brain is dominant in behaviour and feelings. This means it is all about survival rather than thinking and choosing rationally.
Primitive reflexes serve a vital purpose for a foetus and an infant, at that stage of development. The foetus freezes in the womb at any sign of toxins or danger, to protect itself. You’ll have seen the rooting reflex in a baby, where they turn towards their food source when their cheek is touched. And the way their arm reaches out in the direction that their head turns, so that they can learn to roll over. As well as them grabbing your finger with their whole hand – we can’t help but nurture them in that instant!
These are uncontrolled movements – they are reflexes, and are in response to something, like a loud noise or startle. These patterns should have been integrated by around 1-2 years of age and this forms neural connections between the body and brain for the higher level movements and learning. This then means that the sensory systems are working well and the skills for visual and sound processing, postural stability, emotion regulation, the responses of the autonomic nervous system, reading, writing, etc, can develop more easily.
What are the signs of retained primitive reflexes?
Let’s consider a few groups of retained reflexes which can have a huge impact on those higher level skills:
Fear reflexes
When these reflexes are retained, they don’t make the child (or adult) frightened of everything, but make them generally feel ‘unsafe’ or fearful.
There is the Fear Paralysis Reflex, which is the shutdown reflex and develops in utero, and the Moro Reflex, which is an activation reflex, which develops from the startle response that we see in infants. These reflexes develop into a healthy autonomic nervous system, which can protect us when necessary, through either fight, flight or freeze, but is also then able to come back to regulation.
We may see this fear in many ways, like anxiety, anger, avoidance, apathy or controlling behaviour. These fear reflexes are foundational and if they remain active in the body, the other reflex patterns are also likely to remain, so they are key to address. And no matter how much we tell our child that they are safe, or don’t have to worry, their body has to feel this safety, and when these fear reflexes are active, they cannot do that.
Neck reflexes
These reflexes are involved in building strength in the neck, and other muscles; in helping the neck to move separately from the body; in developing postural stability and coordination, balance and muscle control. This also affects visual processing, knowing the left and right side of our body and being able to cross the midline. It also then affects attention, comprehension and so all aspects of learning!
We all know that child who cannot stay on their bike, and topples off each time they turn their head!
Spinal reflexes – Spinal Galant Reflex
This reflex is either side of the base of our spine, in the lower back, and when we touch this area in an infant, their arms and legs on that side contract. This reflex plays a part in the birthing process but also causes the bladder to release in a baby.
When this reflex has not integrated, the child may not be able to sit still in a chair, as the touch of the chair on their lower back stimulates this movement pattern. It can also mean that tight waistbands and labels in clothes feel very uncomfortable.
It can cause bedwetting in an older child too, as the duvet touching their back in the night stimulates the bladder.
Hand reflexes
The hand reflexes cause a baby’s mouth to move when their hands are touched or held. When this reflex is retained we can see a child whose mouth moves when they write – they may even stick out their tongue.
Their speech development may be affected, and so they can struggle with communication skills and also bonding and creating relationships with others.
How to address retained primitive reflexes
Infant reflexes will not integrate themselves if the body does not have the opportunity to perform the reflex movement – these may look a bit different as a child grows and learns to cope with the movement in a different way, but they will always cause some kind of difficulties.
This is never about blaming parents for what they did or didn’t do, in pregnancy, birth and for their babies – our modern world and things we are led to believe in, often result in different and less movement for infants and children, like rocking, rolling, swinging and climbing – the movements our brain desperately needs to let these reflex patterns develop and integrate.
Think of the containers we often put our babies in to support them and give them a better view of the world. What we now know is that they need a lot of time on the floor, on their tummy, pushing and pulling against gravity, as this allows their body and brain to lay those vital connections. And less time on screens, but that is a whole other blog!
I use a rhythmic movement programme to address these retained reflexes – copying those rocking movements that we use with infants. These comfort and soothe their body, giving messages of safety, to integrate the fear reflexes, and then also the other reflexes in turn.
I can assess for the retained reflexes and then give you a programme of small, simple movements to do at home. With regular check-ins and additional movements as your child’s body is ready, we can make a huge difference in securing the foundational layers of their learning pyramid, so that higher level skills are able to develop securely too.
Learn more about my rhythmic movement programme here
For more information on retained primitive reflexes, watch my full video here.
