The Relationship Between Retained Primitive Reflexes and Motor Proficiency of Elementary School Children

Background: The asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR), symmetrical tonic neck reflex (STNR), and tonic labyrinthine reflex (TLR) are essential primitive reflexes for infant motor development, and their lack of integration can significantly impact a child's motor skills and overall development. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between retained primitive reflexes and motor proficiency in elementary school children. Methods: This study involved 110 primary school children aged 6 to 9 years (57 girls and 53 boys) who were randomly selected. Motor proficiency was assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky test, and retained reflexes were measured with the profile test of primary reflexes. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to examine relationships between variables, while independent samples t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were employed to compare mean values between girls and boys, with significance set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The findings indicated a significant negative correlation between retained ATNR and fine motor skills, as well as between retained STNR and fine motor skills. Additionally, no significant difference was found in motor proficiency between girls and boys. Conclusions: The results suggest that reducing retained primitive reflexes may improve children's motor proficiency in both gross and fine motor tasks. Given the negative relationship between retained primitive reflexes and motor skills, early identification of these reflexes could enable timely intervention.