In cases where there is the presence of trauma, genetic abnormality, chronic illness, developmental delays, or pregnancy or birthing complications, primitive reflexes may still be actively present in the child’s body. If primitive reflexes are actively present when they should be inhibited, they are called “retained reflexes.” Retained reflexes will continue to cause involuntary movement patterns or physical responses that will in turn cause faulty learning processes. Also, as the baby continues to grow, he or she begins to perceive the world in an immature way, and behavioral challenges may follow.

When a child’s brain is healthy and developing typically, maturation and growth are automatic. The child goes through natural and instinctive movement patterns that assist the brain in learning and integrating primitive reflexes. We see confusion in the brain when the child either does not go through the typical milestones or skips them altogether. For example, when a child moves from sitting to walking, skipping the crawling phase, an essential process for brain integration, this jump in development can confuse further development which requires the right and left the brain to coordinate to execute more advanced movement activities.