Retained Primitive Reflexes in Kids: The Missing Link to Learning, Behavior, and Brain Development
Every child is born with a set of primitive reflexes—automatic movements controlled by the lower brainstem that help with early survival and development. These reflexes serve a vital purpose in infancy, but they should naturally integrate into more mature movement patterns as a child’s nervous system matures.
However, when these reflexes are retained beyond their normal timeframe, they can interfere with brain development, learning, behavior, and motor coordination. Many parents seek out therapies to address their child’s challenges, but without addressing the nervous system dysfunction behind retained reflexes, true progress is limited.
Lately, retained primitive reflexes have gained popularity, and many parents are attempting to integrate them through various exercises. However, it’s important to understand that retained reflexes are a symptom, not the root cause—the real issue lies in the nervous system’s inability to integrate them properly.
Let’s dive into why primitive reflexes matter, how they get retained, and why addressing the nervous system is key to helping children thrive.
What Are Primitive Reflexes?
Primitive reflexes are involuntary motor responses that infants rely on for early survival, movement, and brain development. These include:
Moro Reflex (Startle Reflex) → Prepares baby to respond to sudden stimuli.
Palmar Grasp Reflex → Helps baby grasp objects and prepare for fine motor skills.
Rooting Reflex → Assists with feeding by turning head toward touch.
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) → Helps with rolling and hand-eye coordination.
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) → Affects balance, posture, and spatial awareness.
Spinal Galant Reflex → Assists in birth and affects posture and bladder control.
As a baby’s brain develops and higher brain centers take over, these reflexes should naturally integrate (disappear) by specific ages, making room for more complex movements and cognitive functions.
Why Do Primitive Reflexes Get Retained?
When primitive reflexes don’t integrate properly, it’s a sign of nervous system imbalance. Several factors can interfere with proper neurological development, including:
Birth trauma (C-section, forceps, vacuum delivery, prolonged labor)
Maternal stress during pregnancy
Lack of tummy time or insufficient movement in infancy
Toxic overload (environmental, food, medications, etc.)
Chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation
Children with retained reflexes often experience challenges such as: ✔️ Learning difficulties (reading, writing, dyslexia) ✔️ Poor coordination, balance, and posture ✔️ Sensory sensitivities (clothing textures, loud noises, food aversions) ✔️ Attention issues (ADHD, focus challenges, impulsivity) ✔️ Emotional regulation struggles (anxiety, frequent meltdowns) ✔️ Poor handwriting, difficulty with motor tasks ✔️ Bedwetting beyond an appropriate age
The Role of the Nervous System in Reflex Integration
Retained primitive reflexes are a neurological issue, not just a movement problem. The nervous system controls reflex integration, meaning that if a child’s brain-body communication is not functioning properly, these reflexes can remain active.
Chiropractic care plays a critical role in supporting neurological maturation, ensuring that the nervous system is properly organized and can integrate these reflexes as it should.
Why Movement-Based Therapies Alone Aren’t the Solution
Many parents turn to physical therapy, occupational therapy, or reflex integration exercises to help their child. While these therapies can provide some benefit, they do not address the root cause of retained reflexes—the nervous system itself.
Therapies often focus on forcing the body into specific movements without considering whether the nervous system is capable of processing and adapting to those movements. If the nervous system is out of balance, these efforts are like trying to build on a faulty foundation.
That’s why chiropractic care is so essential—it doesn’t just train the body to do something different, it restores the nervous system’s ability to function properly, allowing reflexes to integrate naturally.
How Chiropractic Care Helps Integrate Retained Reflexes
The nervous system must be properly balanced for reflexes to integrate as they should. Chiropractic adjustments help by: ✅ Restoring Nervous System Communication → Allowing the brain and body to properly coordinate movement. ✅ Regulating the Autonomic Nervous System → Shifting the child out of a constant “fight-or-flight” response. ✅ Enhancing Sensory Processing → Improving how the brain interprets and responds to sensory input. ✅ Supporting Proper Motor Development → Encouraging postural stability and coordination.
With chiropractic care, we remove the interference that keeps the nervous system stuck in old patterns. This allows a child to naturally progress toward proper movement, learning, and behavior.
Why Early Detection & Care Matters
The longer primitive reflexes remain unintegrated, the more they can interfere with a child’s growth and development. Addressing them early can prevent unnecessary struggles with learning, behavior, and coordination.
If your child has struggled with learning delays, coordination challenges, or sensory sensitivities, it’s worth assessing their nervous system health to see if retained reflexes could be playing a role.
Give Your Child the Best Start
Primitive reflexes are a natural part of early development, but when they persist beyond their expected timeline, they signal a nervous system imbalance that needs to be addressed. Movement-based therapies are useful tools, but true change happens when we focus on the nervous system’s ability to integrate these reflexes fully.
If you’re concerned about your child’s motor skills, learning, or behavior, schedule a consultation today to see how chiropractic care can help integrate retained reflexes and support healthy development.
