Retained Primitive Reflexes: The Key Clinic's Ultimate Guide
At The Key Clinic, we investigate whether your child’s primitive reflexes have been retained and are causing difficulties in functioning. Primitive reflexes should have fulfilled their developmental role and disappeared long ago but even though childhood developmental milestones may have been met, the early childhood reflexes may still be retained. We offer Neurodevelopmental programmes that mature the nervous system through primitive reflex integration. Today we are answering the most common question that parents ask us: what are ‘retained reflexes’ and what do they do?
What are Retained Primitive Reflexes?
Primitive reflexes are repetitive, automatic movements that provide the foundation for all motor coordination skills developed in childhood and we ALL have them in our early life. They can be termed “infant reflexes” or “early childhood reflexes”. Primitive reflexes are essential during infancy to develop head control, muscle tone, sensory integration and visual development. Integration of these reflexes is necessary for a child's development of spontaneous postural movement and proper visual-motor development.
However, these reflexes should not be present past very early childhood. When they are still present beyond this stage, retained reflexes can act as ‘blockages’ to further development and fuel reflex retention symptoms. The obstacles they create manifest as everything from handwriting difficulty to a lack of balance or ‘clumsiness’.
This guide will take you through the most common retained primitive reflexes, explain what they are and list the symptoms associated with them.
What is a Retained Moro Reflex?
The Moro reflex serves as a baby’s primitive fight-or-flight reaction. It is usually inhibited by around 4 months after birth and replaced by an adult startle reflex. When the Moro reflex is retained in an older child it becomes an automatic uncontrollable overreaction to any type of stimulus, therefore overriding the higher decision-making centre of the brain. Retention of the Moro reflex can present the following challenges: hyperactivity, extreme sensitivity to sudden movement or noise or light, sleeping problems, impulsive behaviours, inappropriate behavioural responses, food sensitivities, emotional and social immaturity, difficulty with change, and obsessional behaviours.
Retained Moro Reflex Symptoms:
Easily Distracted
Hypersensitive to sensory stimuli like light, sound and touch
Overreacts
Impulsive and aggressive
Emotional immaturity
Withdrawn or timid and shy
ADHD-type traits
Autism Spectrum traits
Sensory Disorders
Difficulty making friends
Anxiety
Allergies and Asthma
Anger or Emotional Outbursts
Poor Balance and Coordination
Poor Digestion and Food Sensitivities
Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do the quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown. See our video on how to assess the Moro reflex.
What is a retained ATNR?:
The ATNR reflex (asymmetrical tonic neck reflex), when fully present, is activated by turning the head to the left or right side. As the head is turned, the arm and leg on the same side will extend while the opposite limbs bend. If not fully integrated, the ATNR reflex can cause difficulties with: hand-eye coordination, written expression, crossing midline, visual tracking, bilateral integration (use of both sides of the body simultaneously), and hand-dominance.
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Symptoms:
Reading Difficulties
Dyslexia traits
Hand-eye coordination problems
Awkward walk or gait
Difficulty in school
Immature handwriting
Difficulty in sports
Maths and reading issues
Poor balance
Eye, ear, foot, and hand dominance will not be on the same side
Difficulty in things that require crossing over the midline of the body
Horizontal eye tracking difficulties (difficulty with reading and writing)
Shoulder, neck and hip problems
Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do the quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown. See our video on how to quickly assess whether there are indicators that the ATNR is likely retained.
What is a Retained TLR Reflex?
The TLR (tonic labyrinthine reflex) is associated with balance and coordination of the extremities. It’s retention into later life also compromises the vestibular system. This reflex is activated by bending the head forward or backwards (head forward - the body and limbs curl inwards, head backwards - the body and torso straighten and extend). If not fully integrated, the alignment of the head with the rest of the body will be uncoordinated. Proper head and neck alignment is necessary for balance, visual tracking, auditory processing and organised muscle tone, which are all vital to the ability to focus and pay attention.
Retained Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex Symptoms:
Poor balance and spatial awareness
Difficulty holding still and concentrating
Muscle tone issues
Poor posture
Difficulty paying attention when head is down (at a desk or reading)
Dyspraxia traits
Poor sense of rhythm
Gets motion sickness easily
Toe walking
Speech and Auditory difficulties
Spatial issues
Bumps into things and people more than normal
Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do the quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown. See our video on what the TLR looks like.
What is a Retained STNR (symmetrical tonic neck reflex) reflex?
The STNR (symmetrical tonic neck reflex) causes the arms to bend and the legs to extend when the head is bent down and causes the opposite - legs bent, arms straight - when the head is bent backwards. If the STNR reflex remains present in an older child, it can cause difficulty with: integration of upper and lower portions of the body, sitting posture, typical muscle tone development, and poor hand-eye coordination.
Symptoms of STNR:
Poor posture standing
Sits with slumped posture
Low muscle tone
Ape-like walk
Problems with attention especially in stressful situations
Vision accommodation and tracking problems
Difficulty learning to swim
Difficulty reading
Usually skips crawling
Sits with legs in a W position
ADD
ADHD
Hyper activity or fidgety
Poor hand eye coordination
Problems looking between near and far sighted objects, like copying from a chalkboard
Sloppy eater
Rotated pelvis
Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do the quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown.
What is a Retained Spinal Galant Reflex?
The spinal galant reflex exists to help babies move their hips as they move through the birth canal and is elicited when the side of the lower spine is stroked gently. If not fully integrated, it can result in difficulties with potty training, concentration, posture, and digestion and can cause excessive fidgeting and hip movement while seated in a chair.
Symptoms of the Spinal Galant Reflex:
ADHD-like symptoms
Struggles with written and verbal instructions
Loses focus frequently
Can’t sit quietly
Often chooses to do homework or watch TV while lying on the floor
Higher chances of bed-wetting when child is potty-trained
Dislikes sports or other physically engaging activities
Gravitates to loose fitting clothing around hips
Unbalanced gait
Struggles with running
Uncoordinated climbing stairs for a long period of time
Trips frequently
What is a Retained Palmar Reflex?
The Palmar Reflex or ‘Grasp Reflex’ is seen when a baby grips around an object that touches their palm. This is normal and helps the baby learn to grip and hang on to things with their hands. The Palmar Reflex develops in the third month of gestation and should disappear at around 3-6 months of age as they gain hand control. It is needed for a baby’s hand-eye coordination, proper vision, and direction/distance judgement but if it isn’t properly integrated it can contribute to an array of problems, mainly linked to dexterity.
Retained Palmar Reflex Symptoms:
Poor handwriting
Poor pencil grip
Poor fine muscle control
Poor dexterity
Poor fine motor skills
Poor vision coordination
Slumped posture when using hands
Back aches when sitting
Sticks tongue out when using hands
Poor pencil grip
Poor ability to put thoughts to paper
Dysgraphia
Speech and language problems
Anger control issues
Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do the quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown.
What are the oral reflexes? (Root and Suck)
The Rooting and Sucking reflexes are both necessary for early feeding. The rooting reflex helps the baby find the breast or bottle to start feeding, while the Sucking reflex allows the baby to suck and swallow when the roof of their mouth is touched. When either of these reflexes are retained they can cause sensitivities in and around the mouth, speech difficulties, and difficulties with swallowing.
Root and Suck reflex symptoms:
Overbite
Speech delays and impairments
Trouble chewing and swallowing
Movement of the tongue when doing fine motor movements
Lisp
Drooling
Constant urge to have something in the mouth (chewing on things)
Sensitivity to food textures
Sensitivity around the mouth
Poor dexterity
Neurodevelopmental Therapy:
As you can see, there are a variety of primitive reflexes that are associated with a variety of symptoms when retained past early childhood. It is important to give the central nervous time to develop, therefore at The Key Clinic we only assess for retained primitive reflexes from around 6.5 years of age. Primitive reflexes can be addressed through our primitive reflex therapy called NeuroMature. All our Neurodevelopmental programmes are personalised to each patient by practitioners based on the findings of our primitive reflex testing process.