Primitive Reflexes: The Building Blocks of Early Development
Primitive reflexes are natural, automatic movements that all babies are born with. They begin developing in the womb and play an important role during pregnancy, birth, and early childhood.
These reflexes help babies survive and grow. They support feeding, movement, bonding, protection, sensory development, and the growth of the brain and nervous system.
You may have seen some of these reflexes without realising it. For example, a baby turning their head when their cheek is touched, grasping a finger placed in their hand, or startling at a sudden noise.
These are all normal parts of early development.
What Is Reflex Integration?
Primitive reflexes are only meant to be temporary.
As babies grow and their brain matures, these reflexes gradually become less active. The nervous system develops more advanced skills and gains greater control over movement, posture, breathing, emotions, and learning.
This natural process is known as reflex integration.
A simple way to think about it is that primitive reflexes are like the training wheels of the nervous system.
Training wheels are helpful when learning to ride a bicycle. They provide support in the early stages. As skills improve, the training wheels are no longer needed and are naturally removed.
Primitive reflexes work in a similar way. They help support early development, but over time they should give way to more mature movement patterns and nervous system function.
As reflexes integrate, children develop:
- Better balance and coordination
- Improved posture and body awareness
- More efficient breathing patterns
- Better focus and attention
- Stronger emotional regulation
- Improved oral function and feeding skills
- Greater control over movement and behaviour
How Do Reflexes Integrate Naturally?
Reflex integration usually happens through normal growth, movement, and everyday experiences.
As babies learn to:
- Spend time on their tummy
- Roll
- Reach and grab
- Crawl
- Sit
- Stand
- Walk
- Explore their environment
their brain receives important sensory and movement information that helps organise and mature the nervous system.
Each stage of development builds upon the one before it, helping the body move from automatic reflex-driven responses to more controlled and purposeful actions.
What Happens When Reflexes Don't Fully Integrate?
Sometimes, primitive reflexes remain active beyond the age they are expected to fade.
When this happens, the nervous system may continue relying on earlier patterns that were originally designed for survival and early development.
This is known as a retained primitive reflex.
Retained reflexes are not a disease or diagnosis. Instead, they may be a sign that certain parts of the nervous system are still relying on developmental patterns that would normally have been replaced by more mature skills.
As a result, some children and adults may experience challenges with:
- Sleep quality
- Breathing patterns
- Posture
- Balance and coordination
- Focus and attention
- Emotional regulation
- Sensory processing
- Oral function
- Learning and development
Not everyone with retained reflexes will experience difficulties, but when challenges are present, retained reflexes can be an important piece of the puzzle.
Why Might a Reflex Remain Active?
The reasons are often complex and different for every individual.
Reflex integration depends on healthy nervous system development. When the nervous system experiences significant stress, trauma, or disruption, some reflexes may remain active for longer than expected.
Factors that may influence reflex integration include:
- Physical or emotional stress during pregnancy
- Prenatal trauma
- Birth-related challenges or birth trauma
- Physical trauma or injury
- Significant illnesses or prolonged health challenges
- Chronic stress or nervous system overload
- Early childhood adversity or emotional stress
- Sleep disturbances
- Breathing difficulties
- Developmental or neurological differences
- Limited opportunities for natural movement during infancy
It's important to understand that trauma doesn't always mean a major life event.
For the nervous system, trauma can be anything that overwhelms a person's ability to cope at that point in time.
This may occur:
- Before birth (prenatal)
- During birth
- During infancy or childhood
- Even later in life
Examples may include a difficult pregnancy, a challenging birth experience, repeated infections, hospitalisation, surgery, accidents, emotional stress, family instability, or other significant life experiences.
When the body perceives stress or threat, its priority becomes survival. In some cases, this may make it more difficult for certain primitive reflexes to fully integrate, allowing earlier protective patterns to remain active.
Most often, retained primitive reflexes are not caused by one single event. Rather, they reflect a combination of developmental, physical, emotional, and environmental factors that have influenced the nervous system over time.
Common Retained Primitive Reflexes
At ASAL, we look at a range of primitive reflexes that may influence breathing, sleep, posture, oral function, learning, movement, and nervous system regulation.
It's also important to remember that reflexes rarely exist on their own. Many children (and adults) may have several retained reflexes working together, creating patterns that affect how they move, breathe, sleep, focus, learn, and cope with everyday stress.
Understanding these patterns often helps us make sense of challenges that may have seemed unrelated before.
Moro Reflex
The Moro reflex is the body’s early “startle” reflex. Babies naturally respond to sudden movement, noise, light, or changes in position by startling. When retained, individuals may become overly sensitive to stress, sound, light, touch, or change.
This may contribute to:
- Anxiety or emotional overwhelm
- Poor sleep or frequent waking
- Hyperactivity or difficulty calming down
- Mouth breathing or shallow breathing
- Difficulty coping with stress or busy environments
At ASAL, we often observe how nervous system regulation and breathing patterns relate closely to retained Moro reflex activity.
Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR)
The Fear Paralysis Reflex is an early protective reflex associated with freeze or withdrawal responses. When retained, individuals may appear extremely shy, fearful, anxious, or emotionally withdrawn.
This may be associated with:
- High anxiety or social fear
- Difficulty adapting to new situations
- Emotional shutdown or “freezing” under stress
- Poor sleep quality
- Chronic nervous system tension
At ASAL, we consider how chronic stress patterns, breathing habits, and nervous system regulation may influence emotional and physical well-being.
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)
The TLR helps babies develop muscle tone, balance, and spatial awareness. When retained, it can affect posture, coordination, balance, and body awareness.
Signs may include:
- Slouched posture
- Poor balance or coordination
- Motion sickness
- Toe walking
- Mouth breathing or forward head posture
- Difficulty with sports or movement activities
At ASAL, we assess how posture, breathing, airway development, and body alignment work together as one integrated system.
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)
The ATNR helps babies develop hand-eye coordination and movement patterns. If retained, crossing the body’s midline may become difficult.
This may contribute to:
- Poor handwriting
- Difficulty reading or tracking
- Clumsiness
- Poor coordination between left and right sides of the body
- Difficulty sitting still
Retained ATNR may also influence posture, neck tension, jaw balance, and breathing efficiency.
Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)
The STNR helps babies transition into crawling. When retained, it may affect posture, coordination, and sitting tolerance.
Signs may include:
- Slouching while sitting
- Fidgeting or constantly changing positions
- Poor concentration
- Weak core strength
- Mouth breathing
- Difficulty with attention and learning
At ASAL, we often observe how breathing quality, posture, and nervous system regulation influence focus and daily function.
Landau Reflex
The Landau reflex supports posture, extension, and body coordination. When underdeveloped or retained, individuals may struggle with muscle tone and endurance.
This may present as:
- Poor posture
- Fatigue or low stamina
- Weak body coordination
- Difficulty maintaining upright posture
- Reduced physical confidence
Healthy posture and breathing mechanics are closely connected, which is why ASAL assesses the body as a whole.
Spinal Galant Reflex
The Spinal Galant reflex helps babies during birth and early movement development. When retained, it may lead to increased sensitivity around the lower back and difficulty regulating movement.
Signs may include:
- Constant fidgeting
- Bedwetting beyond expected age
- Poor concentration
- Sensitivity around the waistline
- Restless sleep
- Poor posture
At ASAL, we recognise how sleep quality, nervous system regulation, and body tension can influence a child’s development and daily comfort.
Babkin Reflex
The Babkin reflex is linked to feeding, hand-mouth coordination, and oral development. When retained, it may influence oral function and muscle coordination.
This may contribute to:
- Feeding difficulties
- Oral sensitivities
- Jaw tension
- Speech or oral coordination challenges
- Difficulty with chewing or swallowing
At ASAL, oral function, tongue posture, breathing, and airway development are important parts of our integrative assessment approach.
Rooting Reflex
The rooting reflex helps babies find the breast or bottle for feeding. If retained, it may affect oral habits, tongue posture, and breathing patterns.
Signs may include:
- Open mouth posture
- Mouth breathing
- Oral fixation habits
- Drooling
- Poor lip seal
- Feeding difficulties
At ASAL, healthy nasal breathing and proper oral posture are important foundations for airway health, sleep, and development.
Palmar Reflex
The palmar reflex links hand grasping with oral and neurological development. When retained, fine motor control and oral function may be affected.
This may contribute to:
- Poor pencil grip
- Hand fatigue
- Difficulty with handwriting
- Jaw tension or oral sensitivities
- Challenges with fine motor tasks
At ASAL, we understand that the nervous system, oral function, movement, breathing, and development are deeply connected.
At ASAL, we take a holistic and integrative approach to primitive reflex assessment, looking beyond isolated symptoms to understand how breathing, sleep, posture, oral function, sensory processing, and nervous system regulation influence one another. Through personalised support and gentle guidance, we aim to help children and adults build stronger foundations for growth, learning, emotional balance, movement, and overall well-being.
If you notice signs of retained primitive reflexes in yourself or your child, don’t wait — early assessment and supportive care can make a meaningful difference. Book a consultation today.
