The Moro Reflex

The Moro reflex acts as a baby’s primitive fight/flight reaction. It should be inhibited by approximately four months of post-natal life to be replaced by an adult ‘startle’ reflex. If it persists in the older child, it can be associated with:

  • Hypersensitivity
  • Hyper-reactivity
  • Poor impulse control
  • Stimulus bound effect – cannot ignore peripheral stimuli to focus attention on one thing – has to pay attention to everything
  • Sensory overload
  • Anxiety – particularly anticipation anxiety
  • Labile emotions
  • Emotional and social immaturity