Moro reflex

In this article, I’m going to look at the basics of some of the primitive reflexes that I test for. This post looks at the Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR), Moro Reflex and Babkin reflex, and how these impact on our emotional and mental health.

highly sensitive person

“Highly Sensitive People” tend to have ALL these reflexes active, as do those with autism spectrum conditions, ADHD/ADD, anxiety, depression and dyspraxia, as well as having incredibly sensitive nervous systems that are constantly on alert for threat. It is important to mention at this point that I do not even look at a person’s medical diagnosis – I purely look at their combination of reflexes and how this affects behaviour, emotions and their unique nervous system.

These particular reflexes must be matured and integrated for a person to feel safe in the world. They are completely involuntary, governed by the brainstem. When babies are born, their little movements are not random… they are all reflexive, not voluntary, controlled movement.

In order for a baby to develop and move to the next little milestone, they involuntarily repeat these movement patterns over and over again until neural pathways are myelinated, at which point, the reflex matures and they move onto the next set of movement patterns.

Cell Danger Response

The cellular reaction is known as the “Cell Danger Response“, a term coined by Robert Naviaux. The theory is mitochondria are affected by environmental threat/injury, affecting behaviour, health, fertility, resilience and susceptibility to disease.

Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR)

This cellular response, in reflex terms, goes on to become known as the fear paralysis reflex at around five weeks post conception. The fear paralysis reflex is at its peak at around nine weeks post conception and should merge with the emerging Moro reflex and integrate before thirty-two weeks.

The most effective way to address trauma at a cellular and autonomic nervous system level is by using the Safe and Sound Protocol, followed by skilled and trauma-informed bodywork, using a carefully designed programme of movement, which is designed to help reset the central nervous system.

highly sensitive person

If the fear paralysis reflex does not integrate fully, it will prevent other primitive and postural reflexes from emerging and integrating effectively.

Someone with an active FPR will not feel safe outside their close, familiar surroundings.

Characteristics of a retained FPR reflex are:

• Finds it hard to express opinions
• Does not like to draw attention to self
• Issues with eye contact – either can’t make appropriate eye contact, or will stare inappropriately
• Prefers to withdraw from social situations
• Tactile defensiveness
• Selective mutism
• Panic attacks and anxiety
• Phobias
• Hypochondria
• Inflexible outlook
• Cannot take criticism
• Has to always be right
• Demand avoidance

If you think you or your child has an active FPR reflex, it is well worth seeking the help of a professional reflex integration therapist, as it may block later primitive and postural reflexes from emerging and integrating properly, so it is wise to have some help to unravel the puzzle,

It is worth mentioning that some people need to work with FPR, Babkin and Moro for many months or even years in order to integrate them.

Further reading on the FPR reflex

If you would like to read more about FPR and anxiety, I’ve written the blog post Why baby reflexes may be at the root of your anxiety. For how FPR affects sleep, you might find Sleep, anxiety, night terrors – and neuroscience useful. For opinion on social media and working in isolation, you might find Connection, isolation, social media, mental health and primitive reflexes useful.

Moro Reflex

At around nine weeks of age, the Moro reflex starts to emerge. It is responsible for filling a baby’s lungs with air when it is first born. It should mature and become the Strauss (startle) reflex at around 4-6 months post birth.

If a baby requires artificial resuscitation at birth, the Moro reflex will not have a chance to emerge properly.

If the Moro reflex remains in the system. a person will not have a well-modulated fight or flight response.

Characteristics of a retained Moro reflex are:

• Sensory processing difficulties, shutting off sensory input that they cannot handle (overwhelm)
• Problems socialising with peers
• Over-reactions, anxiety and emotional outbursts
• Easily tired
• Finds it hard to switch off
• Argumentative and has to have the last word

If you think you may have an active Moro and/or FPR reflex, it is well worth going for an assessment if you can, as a qualified therapist will be able to help you work through a programme and learn movements that will help you manage yourself for life.

It is also worth mentioning that in order to develop and mature postural reflexes effectively, you will need to work with FPR and Moro first if they are present. This is because a person needs well-functioning connections between the brainstem and higher brain levels in order to progress with the postural reflexes.

Things you can do for an active Moro reflex:

• Snow angel movements
• Balance on a Bosu ball/air cushion
• Row, row, row your boat
• Kneel on a skateboard and scoot around

Further reading on the Moro reflex

For an insight into the Moro reflex, you may enjoy reading my article Why are some people just so ANGRY? You may also find my blog post on Sensory Processing Disorder useful. Although it does not specifically mention Moro, as I have explained it is the Moro reflex that is at the root of sensory modulation.

Babkin Reflex

The Babkin reflex emerges at around 13 weeks in utero and should mature and integrate to become the Bonding reflex by around four months post birth. It plays a major role in bonding and attachment.

In order for the Babkin to integrate, the clinging part of the Moro reflex must integrate too. Skin contact and cuddles with the mother, eye contact, movement (being carried and rocked) and proper nourishment are all essential to help a Babkin reflex integrate in a timely manner in an infant.

Characteristics of a retained Babkin reflex are:

• Speech difficulties (articulation)
• Makes movements with mouth when concentrating or drawing
• Prone to dribbling
• Cannot read body language effectively
• Problems with pencil grip (too firm/too slack)
• May appear to be thick skinned when talking to others, but over-sensitive when people are talking about them
• Does not like being cuddled/unaffectionate
• Eye contact issues
• Difficulty with peer relationships
• Hoarders/compulsive collectors/kleptomaniacs
• Lies about the obvious
• Appears detached, cold and unfeeling
• Trust issues with self and others

Things you can do for an active Babkin reflex:

• Press-ups against a wall
• Winding wool around fingers
• Picking marbles out of Theraputty
• Scrunching paper as fast as possible

Further reading on the Babkin reflex

My review of Rocketman entitled Rocketman: alcoholism, drug addiction and eating disorders is about the Babkin reflex.

Be patient when attempting to integrate these reflexes with a therapist.

Reflexes can take a while to integrate, and you may see “regressive” behaviours as this starts to happen. Or you may see nothing at all, and question whether your hard work is doing anything.

One problem that I see is that people with various combinations of these reflexes tend to think it’s not going to work, and therefore avoid doing the movements I give them, making every excuse under the sun. I’ve even known of people who see a neuro-developmental therapist, don’t do the movements consistently and then tell everyone it doesn’t work…

Typical Moro!

If you would like to book an appointment in Horsham, Cranleigh or Dorking, please send me an e-mail.

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Do you have a child who has unpredictably hit, kicked or even bitten someone else? Are you wondering what on earth is causing this behaviour and what to do about it? Read on…

When you were a tiny little foetus, only around five weeks old, your central nervous system started reacting to external stimuli. When there was a sudden loud noise, you would instinctively shrink to avoid potential danger.

It may come as a surprise, but there is nothing “wrong” with your child. Your child simply lives in a state of fear, and cannot self-regulate in order to feel safe and trust others.

Fear Paralysis Reflex

This instinctive reaction is the Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR), and is the first of our reflexes to appear. It should disappear in the third trimester, as it finishes doing its job and the Moro reflex takes over ready for birth.

However, excessive stress in pregnancy can cause the FPR to remain active in the system. The result is that we recoil, shrink, tense up and sometimes even feel slow and sluggish when we face a stressful situation, and this, of course, has an effect on emotional development and behaviour, and how we cope with the world around us.

Anxiety is a feeling of the world rushing past you, while you want to curl into a ball – just like the FPR.

Moro Reflex

A few weeks later, a very important reflex that you may have heard of, or even observed, starts to develop. You may know this better as “fight or flight”. This is the Moro reflex, and is responsible for a baby opening it’s entire body up to take a first breath at birth.

If the Moro reflex remains active in the system, which can happen if the FPR interferes with its integration, you’ll have a person who either expresses frustrations by lashing out, being excessively noisy and argumentative (fight) or being excessively demand-avoidant, potentially running away from any demands placed upon them (flight).

Let me add that this is similar to being bitten by an animal when it’s frightened – or in fight/flight… our cats are always bringing voles in, but last week, my husband decided to pick one up (because they are so sweet). He got bitten – badly. Poor little voley was in fear of its life and didn’t want manly hands picking it up.

Babkin Reflex

The Babkin reflex connects the hand and mouth and is closely related to the FPR and Moro reflex. Retaining this reflex will cause a person to be ANGRY with enormous amounts of cortisol and adrenaline in the system. People with an active Babkin find it very difficult to trust anyone, and may suffer from extreme separation anxiety.

The Babkin tends to affect adoptees, children who have been in foster care, or those who were whipped into SCBU/NICU in the first hours of their lives.

Polyvagal Theory

You may have heard of fight/flight/freeze. These are our primitive survival states, and are what we revert to when we do not have strong enough higher brain connections to understand the difference between REAL danger and PERCEIVED danger, which is not in the least bit threatening.

If we do not have strong enough brain connections to the neocortex and a dysregulated autonomic nervous system, we feel under constant threat. The result is either that we lash out (verbally or physically), avoid a situation or go into complete lockdown.

The following video explains.

The good news…

The great news for anxiety sufferers is that by repeating foetal movements, it is possible to reboot and calm the central nervous system with as little as five minutes of gentle movement per day.

An assessment with a neuro-developmental therapist involves careful observation, and, if appropriate, testing for a number of reflexes to see where attention needs to be focussed first. In some cases, it is possible to make immediate gentle shifts – but often, if a child has an extreme Moro and or FPR reflex, it is not possible to test at all – in which case, we try to show you some gentle passive movements to help calm a child down.

The stronger these pre-birth reflexes are, the more sensitive a child is likely to be, so it may be that a few seconds of movement is more than enough.

In cases of extreme anxiety, I tend to give some extremely gentle movements for a few weeks, and then suggest following up with the Safe and Sound Protocol – a five-day listening programme, based on forty years’ research by Dr Stephen Porges.

When working with a very sensitive child, it is important to work around their demand avoidance. Once this starts to diminish, there comes a time that clear boundaries can be enforced – but trying to do this during SSP or while working with Moro/FPR reflex integration can exacerbate behaviours.

The big problem with schools is that teachers and other professionals do not tend to be trauma and anxiety-informed, and can mistake this behaviour as “poor parenting”. Poor parenting rarely causes a child to be aggressive! Aggression is to do with FEAR – it is not for the sake of it. So, to help an aggressive child, we need to make them feel SAFE in their surroundings.

Drug-free help for anxiety

I love my work for Move2Connect, because I like to see people discover that they have the power to transform themselves using very simple movements over a period of a few weeks at a time.

It is important to understand that this is not a talking therapy. This reaches the parts that talking therapies cannot reach.

I have a special interest in adult and adolescent mental health, and practice from my clinics in Horsham, Dorking and Cranleigh.