Retained Primitive Reflexes, which some may not be familiar with, can lead to various developmental issues in children. This discussion focuses on the retained reflexes most likely to cause problems related to picky eating, sugar cravings, and compulsive eating. Children with these reflexes may exhibit symptoms such as vomiting, allergies, fussiness, chewing difficulties, food hoarding, intense sugar cravings, repetitive dietary habits, and swallowing issues. Identifying these signs can help determine the type of "picky eater" a child is, and a quiz is available for this purpose.
If a child has retained the Fear Paralysis Reflex, the child may experience a number of eating and sleeping disorders. With the Fear Paralysis Reflex, kids often feel in danger and have fight or flight responses. The sensory sensitivities that come with this retained reflex may trigger an oversensitive system.
A child with a retained Moro reflex craves sweets, which may be linked to high cortisol production. These types of kids often crave foods like catsup and sugar cubes. In addition, they may also gravitate to foods with lots of carbohydrates and highly processed foods like chips, chicken nuggets, white bread, pasta and rice. Kids with a retained Moro reflex are more likely to snack throughout the day rather than eat a whole meal.