Reflexes in Infancy
By Emily Barstad, M.Ed.
In the last post, I introduced the primitive reflexes: what they are, what their job is, and why they matter. This post is an extension of that conversation, so if you have not yet read that post, I invite you to start there.
Parenting can be overwhelming
When I had my first child, I remember going to the doctor and attending parenting classes where I learned about “the five areas of development:” cognitive, language, gross motor, fine motor, and social/emotional. I also learned all the different things I could (or should) do as a parent to support my child’s development.
I felt like I needed to watch my little girl like a hawk for signs of progress and create a life that was totally enriching for her. I remember feeling proud when she surpassed peers and, at the same time, completely burned out.
Development from a global perspective
After burning out, I rethought everything and found my way to RIE and Waldorf pedagogy. While it’s possible to fall into perfectionism within these philosophies as well, when met with authenticity, they can support a much more peaceful development for both the child and the parent.
These approaches help distill development into something more manageable. Development is holistic and multi-faceted, and it unfolds over a long journey. Rather than trying to get everything in every day, we can begin to look at development more globally.
The foundation is movement
In the early years (birth–7), motor development lays the foundation for all other areas of growth. As infants, we meet the world and ourselves through movement.
All of the movements we make in these early stages create the initial neural networks that the rest of our development hinges upon. It is the basement of the house. And interestingly, the basement of the brain is where this work takes place.
This area is sometimes referred to as the “reptilian” brain. It supports our most essential and primitive human functions:
breathing
feeding
orienting
moving in relationship to the world
Primitive reflexes: the body’s first teachers
In this light, infancy becomes something extraordinary: a time when the body and brain are laying down the architecture for everything that will come later.
The primitive reflexes live in this foundational level of the brain. Like our early ancestors, infants respond reflexively to their environment, not out of thought, but out of a biological blueprint in relationship to stimuli in their surroundings. Nature & nurture working in harmony.
When we honor this timing, we honor a process shaped over millions of years. It is an unfolding cosmic gift.
Development follows an evolutionary sequence
As children grow, development follows a sequence that mirrors our evolutionary story. From these primitive/reptilian sensory-motor systems of the first seven years, we gradually move into the limbic, or mammalian, brain—where emotion, attachment, and social connection come online between ages 7 and 14.
Eventually, we tune into the frontal regions responsible for reasoning, planning, and abstract thought, which develops more intentionally between ages 14 and 21. These unique skills are part of what makes us human.
This progression should not be rushed. Research consistently shows that higher-order skills depend on the integrity of the systems beneath them. We must build the basement before we can live comfortably in the attic. The frontal lobes, which support executive function and complex learning, continue developing well into early adulthood. Time is on our side.
Less stimulation often supports more development
When I was a first-time mom trying to create an enriching environment, enrichment meant stimulus: image cards, “educational” toys, bouncers, rockers, and swings.
But the reflexes do not require these things.
Many baby devices limit free movement, tune into the frontal lobes prematurely, and place infants into positions they have not yet developed the strength and coordination to reach on their own.
Free movement supports structural alignment
When babies honor their own motor timeline, they begin by gaining control of the head and neck. The head is heavy, and it takes time to develop the muscular system needed to stack the head on the shoulders with ease.
When infants are placed into seated or upright positions before reaching these milestones on their own, they rely on compensatory muscles. From a cranial sacral standpoint, this can create compression in the neck and affects the entire kinetic chain, which is significant in the rapidly growing, developing body of a young child. Each new growth spurt is now developing on top of misalignment.
These babies often appear tight, have compressed necks, have less coordinated movement, and are often less happy due to bodily discomfort.
What babies actually need most
Infants need floor time—and lots of it. More than you would think of it.
When an infant is content, the floor is the most enriching environment. When they are not content, your arms or the arms of a loved one are the most enriching environment.
A supportive reference for me in my parenting practice has been: I don’t put babies into positions they cannot get into themselves naturally.
The takeaway: trust, time, and space
When an infant is on the floor, we are communicating something essential:
We trust their innate wisdom
We trust the pace of development
We trust evolution’s process
In doing so, we offer them great gifts: time, space, and trust.