Use them to lose them...

We have all been to the doctor who taps our knee with a hammer and our legs kicks. That’s a reflex; something that happens that we do not have voluntary control of. Primitive Reflexes are similar; they develop in the brainstem before birth and have multiple functions that help a baby survive their first year. These Primitive Reflexes help the baby with positioning in the womb, birth, breathing, nursing, etc. As baby uses these reflexes, they should go away, or “integrate”, by the end of the first year. If reflexes remain intact, or “retained”, they act as road blocks to development. Unintegrated, Retained Primitive Reflexes interfere with the neurological development and organization of the brain and can lead to behavior, socialization, sensory, health and language challenges.

It’s common to see Retained Primitive Reflexes in kids who may have these diagnoses:

Come to Covenant...we can help! Sometimes the biggest challenge is finding someone to assess your child for Retained Primitive Reflexes. This is something we specialize in at Covenant! Once you know this is an issue, there are simple therapeutic exercises that can be done to help the brain integrate these reflexes. Parents always ask why their child may be experiencing Retained Primitive Reflexes. We will probably never know, but it’s common in babies who had a traumatic birth, a caesarian birth or a lack of tummy time. At Covenant, we can help. We can assess your child for Retained Reflexes and help you with the appropriate treatment plan.

For more detailed information about these reflexes, download our app!