In this case study, our client and his family struggled for years without answers. Through his work at Thrive, he worked to ingrate his active fear paralysis and immature root/suck reflexes, which had resulted in both delayed speech progression and the need to self-soothe through chewing and mouthing behavior.
As a baby develops, movement evolves from primitive reflexes to more advanced motor skills, sending signals that strengthen the neural network, creating connections that increase awareness and control over time.
The Babkin Reflex is the opening of the mouth that occurs with a stimulus in the hand. It works in concert with our grasping reflexes and builds upon defensive reflexes that together help us feel safe and secure. Together, these reflexes help to support the foundation for healthy attachment and social behavior.
Our hands have the power to send signals of safety and security to our brain through their grasping movement. The plethora of tactile calming toys on the market may be acceptable coping mechanisms to temporarily quell anxiety or stress, but provide only a short-term fix for more complex behavioral responses.
Oxytocin, often referred to as ‘the love hormone’ because of its release with physical touch, serves as a chemical messenger to our brain. Oxytocin is responsible for several functions at the beginning of life, but its calming effect on the body has a substantial impact on our behavior and our mental health.
Both of these grasping movements play a role in cling, the second stage of Moro’s integration. They build a sensation of safety and security in the world, enabling the ongoing development of fine and gross motor skills as reflexes integrate later in life.
These two reflexes, Root and Suck, are fully present at birth and essential for an infant’s survival. During the first month of life, the baby’s ability to explore the world is closely linked to grasping and oral reflexes. Together, the Root and Suck reflexes serve as a means of soothing through bonding and nourishment.
In this case study, our young client was constantly on edge, prone to outbursts and overstimulation. Naps were a struggle and noises were too much. Once she started to work through relaxing her alert system with reflex integration exercises, even her teachers noticed the newfound comfort in her own skin.
Moro, the startle reflex, is the more well-known of the defensive reflexes. Comprised of two integral parts, known often as ‘fling’ followed by ‘cling’, this reflex forms the foundation for our ability to mobilize to protect us from danger.
Known as the withdrawal reflex, Fear Paralysis is responsible for the body’s ability to immobilize, or freeze, for self-protection when one’s nervous system is threatened. Notably, the action of being immobile is just as critical to development as the early stages of mobilization in the body.
