It All Starts with Movement 

From the very beginning—even before birth—your child’s nervous system is developing through movement.

By just a few weeks into pregnancy, babies begin sensing and moving on their own. These early movements aren’t reactions to the outside world, but built-in patterns that play a vital role in shaping the brain. They help form the connections that support balance, coordination, and learning.

When a baby is born, they already have nearly all the nerve cells they’ll ever use—but the brain keeps growing rapidly through experience. The first 5–6 years of life are especially important. What fuels this growth? Simple: movement and sensory input.

Touch, sight, sound, balance, and body awareness all help strengthen the brain’s connections. Early reflexes like sucking or turning toward a touch are part of this. As your child grows, these automatic responses should naturally fade, making room for more advanced movement and behavior.

Why It Matters?

There are three key types of early movement patterns:

• Elementary movement patterns – Triggered by gravity, they lay the foundation for posture and walking.

• Primitive reflexes – Automatic survival responses that should fade as the nervous system matures.

• Postural reflexes – Develop after birth to support balance, strength, and confident movement.
  
  

When these patterns don’t develop or integrate properly, a child may struggle with focus, coordination, or learning later on. Conditions like ADHD, anxiety, bed-wetting, or clumsiness often trace back to immature reflexes.

The Moro Reflex:

The Moro reflex (also known as the startle reflex) is an infantile reflex that develops between 28 and 32 weeks of gestation and typically disappears between 3 to 6 months of age. It is an involuntary motor response to a sudden loss of support or startling stimuli (such as loud noises or quick movements).

Components of the Moro reflex:

1.     Arm abduction – the baby spreads out their arms.

2.     Arm adduction – the baby pulls the arms back in.

3.     Crying – often accompanies the motor response.

The reflex may also include extension of the legs, finger spreading, and arching of the back.

Symptoms of the Moro Reflex in Infants

• Sudden startled reaction to noise, movement, or a feeling of falling.

• Throwing back of the head.

• Arms and sometimes legs extending outward, then quickly retracting.

• Crying or a startled expression.

Triggered by head drop, loud sounds, sudden changes in light, or even the baby's own movement. 

Issues if the Moro Reflex Is Not Integrated

While the Moro reflex is normal and necessary in early infancy, failure to integrate it (i.e., if it persists beyond 6 months of age) may indicate neurological or developmental problems. Although the reflex is expected only in infants, if it is retained or re-emerges in older children or adults, it can suggest poor central nervous system integration or unresolved trauma.

Potential issues in older individuals if the Moro reflex is not integrated:

• Hypersensitivity to stimuli (light, sound, touch).

• Emotional reactivity – sudden anxiety or panic in response to unexpected stimuli.

• Poor balance or coordination.

• Exaggerated startle response.

• Difficulty with focus or attention due to an overactive fight-or-flight response.

• Chronic stress or hypervigilance, leading to fatigue or burnout.

• Possible links to sensory processing disorders, ADHD, or anxiety disorders.
  
  

While most research focuses on infants, retained primitive reflexes like the Moro in adults are increasingly recognized in neurological and developmental therapies, where integration techniques may be used to support emotional regulation, posture, and sensory processing.

The Spinal Galant Reflex:

The Spinal Galant Reflex (also known as truncal incurvation reflex) is a primitive reflex present at birth and typically integrates (disappears) between 3 to 9 months of age. It is triggered by tactile stimulation to the lumbar region — for example, stroking down one side of the spine while the infant is prone or in a quadruped position — causing lateral flexion of the trunk and hip movement away from the stimulus. It plays a crucial role in:

• Facilitating the birthing process (helping the baby rotate and descend in the birth canal)

• Developing range of motion in the hips, important for crawling and walking

• Stimulating vestibular system development, which is essential for balance and spatial orientation

• Aiding urination, as stimulation of the lower back can influence bladder response

Neurological and Developmental Role

The reflex contributes to early sensorimotor integration, facilitating the formation of neural pathways through sensory input. These pathways support cognitive and motor development via neuroplasticity. It also interrelates with other reflexes, such as the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR).

Expected Developmental Timeline

• Emerges: ~20 weeks gestation (in utero)

• Fully present at birth

Integration period: By 3–9 months of age through natural movement, sensory stimulation, and motor activities such as tummy time and crawling.

Consequences of Non-Integration

If the Spinal Galant Reflex remains active beyond infancy (i.e., retained/unintegrated), it can cause neurodevelopmental and functional challenges, especially because it disrupts motor control and sensory processing. Issues include:

• Sensory-Motor Dysfunctions:

  • Excessive fidgeting, especially when the back is in contact with a surface (e.g., chair backs)

  • Tactile hypersensitivity, especially to clothing

  • Poor posture or scoliosis

  • Bedwetting beyond age 5 due to back stimulation triggering bladder release

• Motor and Coordination Issues:

  • Delayed or asymmetrical crawling, rolling, or gait disturbances

  • Poor balance, muscle tone, and coordination

• Cognitive and Behavioral Effects:

  • Attention deficits

  • Associations with dyslexia

Retention can also lead to functional asymmetries if only one side is affected.

STNR (Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex)?

The STNR is a primitive reflex that develops in infants between 6 to 9 months of age and plays a critical role in early motor development, especially crawling.

• It's often referred to as the "crawling reflex".

• It helps the baby separate movements of the upper and lower body.

• The reflex presents a two-part pattern:

  • When the head is lifted: arms straighten, legs bend.

  • When the head is lowered: arms bend, legs straighten.

It allows a child to move from lying on the floor to getting on hands and knees—an essential step for crawling. 

When Should STNR Fade Away (Integrate)?

• The STNR should be fully integrated by 9 to 11 months of age.

• It is a transitional reflex, meant to disappear as the brain matures and voluntary motor control takes over.

• Integration supports:

  • Postural control

  • Bilateral coordination

  • Eye-hand coordination

The further development of other reflexes, such as the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR)

What happens if it doesn't integrate?

• Motor & Postural Issues: Skipped crawling, poor posture (W-sitting, slouching), weak muscle tone, difficulty sitting still, or frequent falls from chairs.

• Visual & Reading Challenges: Trouble with visual tracking, copying from the board, or poor depth perception.

• Writing & Fine Motor Difficulties: Sloppy handwriting, poor pencil grip, or trouble organizing thoughts on paper.

• Math & Spatial Reasoning Delays: Difficulty with vertical tracking (for columns) or judging distances.

• Coordination & Sports Struggles: Challenges with ball games, swimming, or overall body awareness.

• Classroom Behavior & Learning: Appearing inattentive, fidgety, easily fatigued, or even exhibiting symptoms similar to ADHD.