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Retained Primitive Reflexes and Vision

Retained primitive reflexes can arise from complications during birth or in the early months of life. They may manifest in subtle ways, such as delayed crawling, or more significant issues, like head injuries or falls.

These movements are typical in healthy newborns. As part of normal development, children should lose these basic reflexes and stop displaying them by 5 to 7 months of age.

Primitive reflexes are crucial for a baby’s early brain development, and they should only remain active for the initial months of life. Retained primitive reflexes may result from complications during birth, particularly if there was a traumatic experience or a cesarean delivery. Other causes can include falls, traumas, insufficient tummy time, delayed or skipped crawling, chronic ear infections, head trauma, and vertebral subluxation.

When primitive reflexes have not integrated within the expected timeframe, it’s important to address the developmental stages that were missed. Engaging in specific activities can help rebuild this foundation and create new neural pathways.

What Are Primitive Reflexes?

Primitive reflexes are automatic, involuntary movements essential for developing muscle tone, sensory integration, head control, and overall growth. As a baby matures, these reflexes gradually disappear as the brain develops, allowing for more voluntary and controlled movements.

Movement is vital for an infant’s brain to integrate these primitive reflexes. Vision and movement are interconnected in this process, enabling infants to explore their environment as they progress through early childhood. From gross motor skills to fine motor coordination and oculomotor movements, each developmental stage is influenced by the integration of primitive reflexes.

What Causes Primitive Reflexes to Be Retained?

Several factors can contribute to the retention or continued activity of primitive reflexes. These include:

  • Stress During Pregnancy: High levels of stress experienced by the mother and/or baby during pregnancy can impact neurological development.
  • Limited Movement in Utero: Insufficient movement while in the womb may hinder the development of necessary motor skills.
  • Restricted Body Movements: Extended time spent in car seats, carriers, walkers, or jumpers can limit an infant’s ability to explore and develop movement skills.
  • Illness, Injury, or Trauma: Health issues or physical injuries can disrupt the normal integration of reflexes.
  • Chronic Stress: Ongoing stress can affect overall development and the ability to integrate reflexes.
  • Other Developmental Delays: Additional developmental challenges can also play a role in the retention of primitive reflexes.

It is important to note that reflexes that have been integrated may reactivate later due to trauma, injury, illness, or stress.

Addressing the developmental stages that have not been fully integrated is crucial. Fortunately, vision therapy offers effective methods to retrain and assess the brain, facilitating the creation of the neural pathways necessary for proper integration of these reflexes.

Vision Therapy and Primitive Reflexes

While there are many primitive reflexes, vision therapy programs primarily focus on five that significantly impact the development of the visual system.

Moro Reflex

The Moro reflex is the earliest primitive reflex, affecting vestibular, ocular, motor, and visual perceptual skills.

Symptoms include:

  • Exaggerated startle reflex
  • Motion sickness
  • Eye movement and visual processing issues
  • Poor coordination and balance
  • Light sensitivity
  • Frequent infections
  • Inner ear problems
  • Allergies
  • Low stamina
  • Difficulty with black print on white paper
  • Tense muscle tone
  • Poor auditory discrimination
  • Biochemical and nutritional imbalances
  • Persistent “Fight or Flight” response
  • Hyperactivity
  • Low self-esteem

Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

The TLR impacts ocular function, motor skills, balance, muscle tone, and auditory discrimination.

Symptoms include:

  • Poor posture or stooping
  • Weak muscle tone
  • Stiff or jerky movements
  • Toe walking
  • Dislike of sports
  • Eye movement and spatial perception problems
  • Motion sickness
  • Poor balance and organization skills
  • Difficulty with sequencing and coordination
  • Poor sense of time
  • Fear of heights

Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR)

The STNR affects fixation, focusing from far to near, and crossing the midline.

Symptoms include:

  • Poor posture
  • Difficulty catching or tracking a ball
  • Impaired depth perception and balance
  • Trouble swimming
  • Poor hand-eye coordination
  • Messy eating habits
  • Learning challenges
  • Difficulty aligning numbers in math
  • Trouble recognizing social cues
  • ADD/ADHD characteristics
  • Anchoring feet behind chair while sitting
  • “W” position when sitting on the floor

Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)

The ATNR influences midline coordination, eye tracking, balance, handwriting, and laterality.

Symptoms include:

  • Poor balance when moving head side to side
  • Focusing difficulties (especially when switching between near and distant objects)
  • Challenges keeping place while copying
  • Difficulty learning to ride a bicycle
  • Trouble crossing the midline
  • Poor smooth eye movements (pursuits)
  • Mixed laterality (using different hands or feet interchangeably)
  • Poor expression of ideas on paper
  • Difficulty catching a ball
  • Poor handwriting
  • ADD/ADHD characteristics

Spinal Galant Reflex

The Spinal Galant reflex affects the ability to sit still, short-term memory, and concentration, and may lead to bedwetting.

Symptoms include:

  • Bedwetting
  • Fidgetiness or wiggling (especially while seated)
  • Sensory issues with food textures or clothing tags/waistbands
  • Poor short-term memory
  • Concentration difficulties
  • ADHD characteristics

How Does Vision Therapy Help?

We are dedicated to supporting your child through a primitive reflex integration program. This involves specific movements and patterns that retrain the brain and regulate the center for these reflexes. By employing rhythmic movement training techniques that mimic an infant’s developmental movements, patients can effectively integrate retained reflexes. These repetitive motions foster the development of the reflexes and gradually enhance the front and visual cortex of the brain.

Once these reflexes are integrated, many behavioral issues associated with retained primitive reflexes often resolve. Since vision is closely linked to brain development, addressing these reflexes is vital. Our vision therapy program offers a comprehensive approach to overcoming these challenges.

Neglecting to treat retained primitive reflexes can lead to impulsivity, hyperactivity, aggression, developmental delays, anxiety, fear, poor academic performance, and hindered intellectual growth.

At our practice, we prioritize each child’s individual needs. Our team is skilled in working with children and strives to create a calming environment for them.

If you have questions about retained primitive reflexes or wish to schedule an appointment, contact us today at (440) 230-0923. We look forward to assisting you!

The Vision Development Team serves patients from North Royalton, Beachwood, Cleveland, and Akron, throughout Ohio.