Lifespan Reflex Definition
- last throughout life
- Examples: knee-jerk reflex, flexor withdrawal reflex
Best place for baby to play?
Floor time
Postural Reflexes
- begin to emerge once infant reflexes integrate
- will be affected if infant ones don’t integrate
Primitive Reflexes Examples
Rooting, sucking, palmar, Babinski, ATNR, Moro, ATNR, Spinal Galant, TLR, Landau, STNR
Primitive Reflexes Function
- initiate movements that form the building blocks for intentional movements
- Protection, nutrition, survival
Things that can inhibit integration
- injuries at birth
- drugs ingested in utero or through breast milk
- allergies
- overstimulation
- blinking lights and media overload
- lack of opportunity for movement
Moro Reflex Onset and Integration
Onset: birth
Integration: 4 months
Moro Reflex Testing Procedure
place child on back and gently lift head off of mat, release head suddenly, allowed to fall backward for a moment but quickly supported again
- can put pillow down for saftey
Moro Reflex Expected Response
Startles, arms move sideways with palms up and the thumbs flexed, baby may cry
How Moro Reflex helps development
involuntary reaction to threat, fight or flight
If MORO Reflex doesn’t integrate: FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS
motion sickness, poor balance/coordination, delayed equilibrium and righting responses, auditory hypersensitivity, poor auditory discrimination, difficulty with transitions, hypersensitivity may be seen in only one sense
If MORO reflex doesn’t integrate: GLOBAL MANIFESTATIONS
dislike change or surprise, allergies, lowered immunity, ear infection, parents walk on eggshells to keep the world right for kid, need to control, poor stamina, low self-esteem, difficulty making decisions, “glued” to mom or teacher, sedentary
ATNR Reflex “fencing pose”: Onset and Integration
Onset: birth
Integration: 6 months
ATNR Testing procedure and Response
Procedure: place child on back, gently turn head to one side
Response: UE flexion on opposite side of head turn and UE extension on side head is turned towards
How ATNR helps development
- develop muscle tone
- provides vestibular stimulation
- balance
- decreases chances for breech birth
- initiates eye-hand activities
- helps initiate rolling
If ATNR is not integrated…
- delayed eye-hand skills
- poor midline development
- difficulty crossing midline with hands and eyes
- difficulty with auditory processing
- poor organization
- when reaching, one arm extends, one arm flexes
- one leg left behind during crawling
- turning body while drawing/writing
- not spontaneously using non-dominant hand to assist
Spinal Galant Reflex Onset and Integration
Onset: 32 weeks gestation
Integration: 3 months
Spinal Galant Testing Procedure and Response
Procedure: baby is prone, stroke down the back from below the shoulder to the base of the lumbar region 1/2 inch from the spine - do both sides (no more than 3x)
Response: infant will laterally flex toward stimulated side
How Spinal Galant helps development
active part in birthing process by stimulating lumbar region causing rotational movement of hips
If SPINAL GALANT not integrated: UNDERDEVELOPED
- contributes to hyper-tonicity
- strong ATNR and STNR
- impeded cross patterns for crawling and creeping
If SPINAL GALANT not integrated: WHEN RETAINED
- fidgeting
- bed wetting
- poor concentration and short term memory
- hip rotation to one side when walking
- child may only wear sweatpants to avoid stimulation of lumbar region
TLR - Tonic Labryrinthe Reflex Onset and Integration
Onset: utero
Integration: 36 months
TLR Testing Procedures
1: Place child on back and lift up into sitting position
2: place child on tummy
TLR Response
1: (supine) flexor tone will dominate
2: (prone) extensor tone will dominate
