Retained Primitive Reflexes & Your child's Development In Greenville SC

Our Greenville SC chiropractor knows that watching your baby grow and develop is a fascinating and exciting experience as a parent. They wrap their little hands around your finger, start to kick and wiggle, and eventually roll over, sit up, crawl, and walk!

They begin learning fine motor skills as they get older, but the foundation for their development is their primitive reflexes.

What Are Primitive Reflexes In Greenville SC?

Primitive reflexes are involuntary movements that usually disappear by the time they’re 4-6 months old, and are expected to be completely absent by the time they turn one.

These reflexes allow your baby to learn and form connections in their brains that inform certain movements like grasping objects, sucking and eating, and responding to startling movements.

The most known primitive reflexes are:

• Palmar Grasp: The “grasp” reflex that causes your baby’s fingers to close when you place your finger in their hand.
• Moro Reflex: The startle reflex that helps your baby take their first breath.
• Rooting and Sucking Reflex: A reflex that causes your baby to open their mouth when you stroke its lips or cheek.
• Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex: This reflex helps your baby determine where the head and body are in space.
• Asymmetric Tonic Neck Reflex: A reflex that causes your baby’s arm to straighten and a leg to bend when turning their head.
• Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex: This reflex helps your little one learn how to move and prepare to crawl.
• Spinal Galant Reflex: This reflex occurs when you stroke near the low back of your baby and their muscles contract.

At THINC Chiropractic, Greenville’s Pediatric Chiropractor, we are equipped to test all of these reflexes and provide chiropractic care if primitive reflexes are retained past the normal age. Dr. Zane has additional training and certifications in serving our little ones with research-backed techniques.

What Are Retained Primitive Reflexes?

Retained primitive reflexes are when your baby does not move past the primitive reflex stage after the expected time for them to disappear and become more defined in motor skills.