What You'll Learn in This Episode:

Does your baby startle at every sound? Struggle with tummy time no matter what you try? There might be a neurological reason many healthcare providers never check for: retained primitive reflexes.

In this episode, we're uncovering the hidden developmental issue that can impact everything from crawling to reading to emotional regulation—and most parents have never even heard of it.

What Are Primitive Reflexes?

Reflexes are automatic neurological responses present from birth (or even in utero) that serve specific survival and developmental purposes.

Examples you've seen:

• Rooting reflex - Baby turns toward touch on cheek to find breast/bottle
• Moro reflex - Baby startles at loud noises with arms flinging out

THE KEY: These reflexes are meant to integrate (disappear) by specific ages. When they don't, they become "retained reflexes" and can cause significant developmental challenges.

What Causes Retained Reflexes?

Most common cause: Inadequate tummy time and missing typical developmental milestones.

Why? Because movements INTEGRATE these reflexes into the nervous system.

The baby gear problem: Walkers, jumpers, reclined seats, and excessive car seat use PREVENT the natural movements needed for reflex integration.

3 Key Reflexes Every Parent Should Know:

1. ATNR (Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex) - "Fencer's Pose"

When it appears: 13 weeks after conception
Should integrate by: 6-7 months

What it does:

• Helps baby move down birth canal (acts like corkscrew)
• Develops eye-hand coordination
• Builds corpus callosum (brain hemisphere bridge)
• Develops vestibular system (balance)

This is the #1 reflex linked to reading challenges.

2. STNR (Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex)

When it appears: 6-9 months
Should integrate by: 9-11 months

What it does:

• Develops near and far vision (head up = far vision, head down = near vision)
• Develops binocular vision (using both eyes together)
• Helps baby get into quadruped (hands and knees)
• Allows upper and lower body to move independently

3. Moro Reflex - "Startle Response"

When it appears: 9-12 weeks in utero
Should integrate by: 4-6 months after birth

What it does:

• Helps baby take first breath via adrenaline release
• Responds to sudden stimuli (loud noises, bright lights, sudden touch)

Why Movement Is the Answer:

Movement is the ultimate driving force of brain health and growth.

• Movement causes nerve cells to multiply and strengthen connections
• Children with more physical activity consistently outscore less-active children on academic tests

Listen to this episode if you want to learn what to do if you suspect your child has retained reflexes.

Coming soon: Retained Reflexes Course with specific exercises and activities for older children

Resources Mentioned:

📥 FREE Ultimate Baby Motor Milestone Checklist

🎧 Episode 2: Birth to Independent Sitting

🎧 Episode 3: Crawling to Walking

🎧 Episode 5: Why Crawling Matters

📧 WeeThrive Weekly Newsletter (get updates on upcoming courses)

Your pediatrician might have told you not to worry if your baby skips crawling—but what if crawling is actually wiring your baby's brain for reading, focus, and coordination? We dive into the 2022 CDC decision to remove crawling from milestone checklists and explore why 92% of pediatric physical therapists disagree.

What You'll Learn:

✅ Why the CDC removed crawling and why therapists disagree
✅ How crawling strengthens the corpus callosum (brain bridge between hemispheres)
✅ Why the cerebellum contains 80% of your brain's neurons
✅ The connection between crawling and future reading, language, and memory
✅ What happens when babies skip crawling
✅ Crawling variations and what they mean
✅ The optimal crawling progression
✅ Sarah's story: How crawling transformed August's development

Key Takeaways:

🧠 Crawling builds brain infrastructure for coordination, reading, and writing
🔬 Research shows crawling impacts motor skills, language, memory, and cognition
👶 Crawling variations (bear crawling, bum scooting) signal retained reflexes
📊 92% of pediatric PTs believe crawling is important (despite CDC removal)

Episode Timestamps:

[3:00] Why the CDC removed crawling
[4:30] What crawling does for the brain
[9:00] How crawling impacts future skills
[12:00] What happens when babies skip crawling
[14:00] Crawling variations explained
[16:30] Sarah's personal story

Resources Mentioned:

📥 FREE Ultimate Baby Motor Milestone Checklist - Birth to walking tracker

🎓 1-Hour Workshop - Coming soon! Help your baby achieve motor milestones

Research References:

• Kretch et al. (2024) - 92% of pediatric PTs believe crawling is important
• Herbert, Gross, & Hayne (2007) - Crawling improves memory retrieval
• McEwan et al. (1991) - Non-crawlers score lower on assessments
• Yamamoto et al. (2025) - Less crawling variation = more delays
• Wang et al. (2014) - Motor skills predict communication at age 3
• Provenzale et al. (2012) - Corpus callosum myelination
• Salman & Tsai (2016) - Cerebellum's role beyond balance

[FULL CITATIONS WITH LINKS IN SHOW NOTES]

Related Episodes:

• Episode 2: Birth to Independent Sitting
• Episode 3: Crawling to Walking
• Episode 4: Tummy Time Tips
• Episode 6: Retained Primitive Reflexes (Next!)

Connect with WeeThrive:

🌐 Website: weethrivepeds.com

Support the Show:

💙 Subscribe | ⭐ Leave a review | 📤 Share with a friend

Host: Sarah Cook, MOTR/L - Pediatric OT & mom of 3
Episode Length: ~20 minutes

📚 References

Herbert, J., Gross, J., & Hayne, H. (2007). Crawling is associated with more flexible memory retrieval by 9-month-old infants. Developmental Science, 10(2), 183-189.

Kretch, K. S., Dusing, S. C., Harbourne, R. T., Hsu, L., Sargent, B. A., & Willett, S. L. (2024). Early mobility and crawling: Beliefs and practices of pediatric physical therapists in the United States. Pediatric Physical Therapy, 36(1), 9-17.

McEwan, M. H., Dihoff, R. E., & Brosvic, G. M. (1991). Early infant crawling experience is reflected in later motor skill development. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 72(1), 75-79.

(For a complete list of cited resources visit the blog post on Episode 5<

Picture this: You gently place your baby on their tummy... and within seconds, they're red-faced, crying, and arching their back. You pick them up feeling defeated and think, "Are we doing this wrong?"

If that sounds familiar—you're not alone. And here's what you need to know: tummy time doesn't have to be a battle. In fact, with the right approach, it can become one of your favorite bonding moments with your little one.

In this episode, we're diving into everything tummy time—why it matters, what's really happening in your baby's brain and body, and Sarah's best OT tips to help your baby not just tolerate it, but actually thrive during it.

What You'll Learn:
- Why tummy time is a full-body, full-sensory workout (not just about building neck strength!)
- How tummy time develops ALL of your baby's sensory systems
- How tummy time naturally integrates retained primitive reflexes (like the ATNR)
- Why the "Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play" rule matters more than ever
- How much tummy time your baby needs at each age (and how to build up gradually)
- Sarah's personal story: Her anxiety with tummy time as a first-time mom and what she wishes she'd known

The Science Behind Tummy Time:
Tummy time strengthens your baby's neck, back, core, shoulders, and arms—all critical for future motor tasks like crawling, walking, running, and jumping. But it's doing so much more:

- Building visual perceptual skills (the foundation for reading and writing)
- Developing body awareness (proprioception)
- Activating balance systems (vestibular receptors in the inner ear)
- Integrating primitive reflexes back into the nervous system
- Creating sensory tolerance (reducing hypersensitivity to textures)

When babies don't get enough tummy time in their first year, they may exhibit tactile defensiveness, coordination challenges, and delayed motor milestones.

The AAP's Safe Sleep Campaign:
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing babies on their backs for ALL sleep (naps and nighttime) until at least one year old to reduce SIDS risk. But as an unintended result, babies are spending less time on their tummies and are simply not used to the position—making tummy time during wake windows more important than ever.

Remember: "Back to sleep, tummy to play."

Key Takeaway:
Tummy time is exhausting for your baby—it's like a difficult Pilates class! Start slow (2-4 minutes, 4-5 times a day), stay consistent, and build gradually. Short, frequent bursts throughout the day are more effective than one long session.

If you can master tummy time, your baby is going to learn subsequent milestones—like rolling and crawling—so much faster and easier.

Sarah's Upcoming Workshop:
Sarah's 1-hour workshop will cover ALL her best tips and tricks for getting your baby to be successful during tummy time. Tummy time should be fun for you and your baby—not something you dread.

Free Resource:
📥 Download your FREE Ultimate Baby Motor Milestone Checklist (Birth to Walking)

This visual guide includes tummy time milestones for each phase of development.

Perfect For:
- Parents whose babies hate tummy time
- First-time parents anxious about "doing it right"
- Babies with reflux or medical issues that made early tummy time difficult
- Parents told "your baby will find another way" but want to support proper development