What are the Retained Neonatal Reflexes and how are they showing up in your life?

Retained Neonatal Reflexes are the presence of primitive reflexes in the nervous system. They can affect adults and children in different ways, but the presence of these reflexes in the nervous system can cause significant disruption to our everyday functions. 

The neonatal reflexes are a set of involuntary reflexes that are present at birth and are designed to help us survive the first 2 years of life. A baby needs to automatically be able to feed, grasp things and recoil from pain or stress. A baby doesn't have the time to learn these skills so the reflexes are inbuilt and automatic, try it next time you're with a little one and press your finger into their palm, they have no choice but to wrap their little fingers around yours!

As we grow up and our higher brain centers begin to develop, our nervous system begins to integrate and 'turn off' these reflexes to make way for more intentional movement like walking, talking, eating with a knife and fork and regulating our emotions.

Where there is heightened emotional, physical or even biochemical stress during this developmental process the neonatal reflexes may never be turned off and will remain switched on. When this happens we call them Retained neonatal reflexes. Where there is trauma or heightened stress as a child or adult we see a regression in the integration and we call this Regained neonatal reflexes. 
Regardless of how the reflexes switch back on, they must be re-integrated so that the nervous system (and you!) can operate optimally.

In adults with their reflexes retained we see people struggling to curb their emotionally reactivity, feeling defensive, anxious and stressed over the small things. In young children we see the reflexes play out in their development with poor handwriting, trouble with reading, meltdowns and tantrums, too scared to try new things, issues holding a pen/knife and fork, and even awkward running or swimming movements.

In the clinic we evaluate your nervous system for Retained or Regained Neonatal Reflexes through a set of tests and exercises that will bring these reflexes to the surface. We also use Applied Kinesiology to evaluate and work with your nervous system to integrate these reflexes. In Adults we see a major shift in the way people are able to emotionally regulate themselves, this is because the nervous system not only has to spend less energy trying to compensate for dysregulation but also because the tools we use to regualte ourselves actually work really well without the presence of these neonatal reflexes.

In children we see dramatic improvements in their reading level (going up multiple reading levels in the first week after treatment!), their handwriting abilities, we see improved focus and concentration, enhanced performance in sport, we see them feeling more connected and closer to caregivers, improved immune system and best of all they build confidence, try new things and can easily calm down after a stressor or trigger.

Does this resonate for you or your kids? Stay tuned because there is much more information to come and some in-house offerings to help you and your loved ones integrate neonatal reflexes!