If you’ve never heard of these, trust me – you’re not alone. Learning about retained primitive reflexes was fascinating. Chiropractors and kinesiologists study retained primitive reflexes however they are not commonly heard of outside of these professions.

Once you’ve learned how to watch for signs of retained reflexes, however, they will be glaringly obvious. Walk into any classroom around the world and I guarantee that a cluster of these reflexes will be present. In fact, this could be true of any workplace, as some people retain a single reflex or a group of reflexes into adulthood.

Children are born with approximately a hundred reflexes. These emerge in the initial weeks of foetal development and continue to occur within the first two years of life. They are involuntary movements which help babies through the birthing process. These automatic reflexes are vital for survival in the first few months of a baby’s life, as they help the baby to respond to their surrounding environment. Each primitive reflex creates changes in muscle tension and each plays a defined role in acquiring skills to explore the world around them and gain sensory information from this exploration. Their purpose is to help babies develop and move and as a consequence gain strength, balance and coordination (more on individual reflexes and their purposes later).

Ideally, and in normal development, the primary reflexes should be integrated (disappear) within the first two years of life and especially by three years of age through normal childhood play and movement. Babies must lose some of the reflexes developed in the womb to instead develop voluntary movements and adult reflexes. Patterns of movement should ideally become voluntary and, later, automatic.

If these reflexes are retained past the normal age of integration they can have a negative effect on learning, motor control (both fine and gross), posture, perception and general behaviour.

If you suspect your child (or you) may have retained primitive reflexes it is best to have this checked out by a professional chiropractor or kinesiologist who specialises in this area. I am by no means an expert, but below I have provided a brief outline of each reflex that I have come across in my teaching work as well as signs to watch out for.