The story behind Retained Primitive Reflexes.
Retained Primitive Reflexes (RPR) are becoming more and more recognised and addressed in our society today with the increased diagnosis of, and support for, behavioural and learning difficulties. The reason these reflexes are important for us to test and understand, is because they have been found to cause neurological underdevelopment in some areas, which is why they are affecting behaviour, development, visual and sensory processing, and are affecting our children’s ability to learn at school (or at home).
WHAT ARE RPR’S?
Babies are born with primitive reflexes to help them survive in the womb and in the early months of life. For example, they help the baby with positioning in the womb, birthing, the first breath of life, feeding and urination etc. A good example of one primitive reflex is the rooting reflex, when you brush the side of the babies cheek and they innately respond by turning to that side. This helps the baby to find the nipple so that they are able to feed. A necessity of life!
Primitive reflexes develop in the brainstem (the top of the spinal cord at the base of the brain) before birth, and most of them go away or ‘switch off’ during the first year of life as higher functions of the brain and muscle control develop. If they don’t switch off or become integrated like they are meant to, they interfere with the neurological organization of the brain and make it difficult for the brain to do more complex tasks hereby impacting behaviour, emotions and academics. It also makes it very difficult for the body to coordinate different movements.
Freedom of play also supports the integration of Primitive Reflexes. There is nothing like painting on your palm to demonstrate that the Grasp reflex is no longer present (activities like playdough play would also support this).
In more complex terms, (please bear with me….!), because primitive reflexes develop at the base of the brain, functions that try to develop in the brain above them sometimes don’t wire properly. This is why disorders such as autism, ADHD, aspergers, autism spectrum disorders, hemispheric imbalance, sensory disorders, hyper activity, speech disorders, social disorders, asthma, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, immune problems and other health issues can develop.
RPR’s are muscle movements that often go unnoticed in older children and adults. Unfortunately, they have the potential to cause ongoing issues but not to fear! They can be solved or integrated easily with the right support and exercises.
The ‘Lizard’ exercise, used to integrate the retained Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR).
Exercises take about 10 minutes a day to perform and should be integrated after just a few months, at which time, many learning disabilities, behavioral, sensory disorders, and health issues disappear or are at least greatly improved! Woohoo! It is worth getting them checked, or checking them yourself, even if your child is not displaying the usual symptoms, because if one remains unnoticed, it can slow the improvement in cognitive function.
WHAT CAUSES PRIMITIVE REFLEXES TO BE RETAINED?
There are many children and adults that for one reason or another still have one or more RPR’s. Some causes may include a traumatic birth, lack of tummy time, too much time laying in seaters or swings with limited free range of movement (yes this makes our babies sound like chickens, but freedom in movement is incredibly important for the development of our babies), induced labor or C-section birth. Most of the time unfortunately there is actually no known reason. Frustrating I know!
When primitive reflexes become integrated this demonstrates a maturing of the child’s nervous system. As a chiropractor my focus is on the health & function of the spine & nervous system, so you can see how these reflexes are of interest to me. If you would like your child checked by a professional, please get in touch.
Chiropractic adjustments support optimal nervous system function. Growing spines & maturing nervous systems benefit greatly from Chiropractic care!