Primary or Primitive Reflexes?

Primary reflexes are movement patterns which emerge during fetal life and are critical for the survival of the newborn (infant rooting reflex, sucking reflex). Primary reflexes are obvious during the first six months of life and used by paediatricians to assess the neurological integrity of the newborn baby. As the nervous system develops, they are inhibited or transformed. The persistence and presence of primary reflexes beyond their normal timespan (12 months) interferes with subsequent development and indicates neurological impairment. More than 70 primary reflexes have been identified and they may be classified in several ways - e.g. according to function, time of appearance or the type of stimulus which releases them. The findings during the neurological examination in infancy, especially in the newborn period, differ markedly from those present in children and adults.

There are number of specific reflex activities so called infantile automatisms, found in the normal newborn that disappear in early infancy. Reflexes are an involuntary muscle reactions to a certain type of stimulation and their absence in the neonate, or the persistence of some beyond their expected time of disappearance may indicate severe central nervous system dysfunctions.