Retained Neonatal (Primitive) Reflexes

Your central nervous system is the control centre for living. Its health and performance determines how we perceive the world around us and how we respond to circumstances, stressors and obstacles which arise.

During our development in the womb, and in the early months of our lives, the higher processing or thinking areas of our brain are not fully developed. At this time we are protected and assisted by primitive reflexes to illicit involuntary responses when we are not yet able to use rational thought. A reflex response may vary from rapid muscular movements (knee-jerk reaction) to those involving breathing, perceptual adjustments, hormonal changes and more complex body movements.

As your central nervous system matures as you grow, the need for many involuntary reflex responses is reduced. At this point, if the reflex is not lost, its reaction when stimulated can become undesirable. Some reflexes however are necessary throughout life, such as when we quickly move a limb away from heat when we are burned.

Sometimes if reflexes are retained they can upset some, or all, of the functions of the higher control centres of the brain. These children present with problems behaving, learning, and co-ordinating gross or fine motor movements.

Treatments involve mild muscle testing and gentle pressure on particular points, often combined with a specific phase of breathing.

Our experience has demonstrated that the order of treatment is very important to the overall outcome. A minimum of one week between visits ensures that the previous treatment and its effects have had time for benefits to adequately integrate.

After our initial course of eight to twelve weekly visits, we advise a follow up session, six weeks later. Some of the reflexes integrate within a week, whereas others take a little longer. 
  
  

Fear Paralysis Reflex This reflex can create feelings of anxiety or “butterflies in your stomach”. Children may prefer to withdraw from situations rather than try something new. When retained, tantrums and/or shyness are common.
Moro Reflex We often find this retained reflex associated with over-reaction to stimulation of any of the senses – bright light, rough touch, loud noise. As well, we believe this retained alarm response can contribute to hyper-excitability, agitation, and difficulty socializing.
Juvenile Suck Thrust If a Juvenile Suck Thrust is not adequately integrated, the tongue projects forwards before moving backward in the normal swallow. This action can continually push the front teeth forwards, altering the shape of the upper jaw. It is a huge problem for dentists (and their patients).
Rooting Reflex Thumb sucking and fussy eating can be attributed to the retention of this reflex. As the tongue sits too far forward (as if ready to suck), it may result in speech and articulation problems, dribbling, and difficulty swallowing and chewing.
Palmar Reflex A child can describe retention of this reflex as “it’s hard getting my ideas from my head, down my arm, and onto paper”.  This can disturb both the flow of writing and expression of thoughts.  They may be better at telling stories verbally than in written form, and may be ok when spelling words outloud, however jumble their letters up when writing.  This reflex is important for fine motor control.
Plantar Reflex Balance, walking and coordination may be affected by this retained reflex. This may put pressure on the pelvis and, in turn, cause low back or hip strain.
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Important for hand-eye coordination and distance perception. Some of the more obvious patterns relating to this retained reflex are messy hand writing, disturbed walking and poor eye-body skills such as weak catching/kicking abilities.
Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex Retention of this reflex may cause difficulty in judging distance, speed, depth, space and may be accompanied with motion sickness. This reflex concentrates on the child’s balance system.
Sagittal Labyrinthine Reflex Tiredness at the end of the school day, poor concentration or retention of information in class is often associated with this reflex failing to integrate. This reflex is demonstrated when the child prefers to push their chair out too far, lean onto the desk, and props their head up on their hand to ensure their head is in line with their torso.  Alternatively they may slump or prefer to do their homework lying on their stomach
Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex Retention of this reflex affects gross motor skills. Children are more injury prone, clumsy, and may find it difficult to coordinate their upper and lower body together. Exercise may not be enjoyed but once corrected, we commonly see an eagerness to exercise and an improved performance running and swimming.
Spinal Galant Reflex Children who present with ‘ants in the pants’, wiggling and squirming whilst seated, often have this retained reflex. This constant irritant affects concentration and short term memory and is often related to poor bladder control.
Disturbed Eye Tracking Right to Left Reading difficulties and poor comprehension of written information are indicators of this retained reflex. It can be noted in a child who prefers to turn their head instead of shifting their gaze.
The Retained Neonatal Reflexes® technique were founded by Dr Keith Keen, a Sydney based Chiropractor, in the early 1990s.  He is one of only nine Applied Kinesiology Diplomates in Australasia.

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