The Moro Reflex in Predicting Development of Anxiety in Young Children

<ns3:p>Although previous studies have suggested a link between uninhibited Moro reflexes (MR) and anxiety, empirical evidence remains limited. This study investigated the relationship between uninhibited MR and anxiety in children. A total of 372 Polish children of preschool and school age (Mage = 9.6 years; 60% boys, 40% girls) were assessed for the presence and severity of MR. Based on parental reports, children were categorized into anxiety (n = 182) and non-anxiety (n = 192) groups.A total of 374 children (225 boys and 149 girls, Mage = 9.6 years, range: 4.0–17.9) participated in this study. The anxiety and non-anxiety groups included 182 (60% boys, 40% girls) and 192 (60% boys, 40% girls) children, respectively. The participants were divided into four equal age groups: youngest children (age ≤ 7.6 years), younger middle children (age 7.7–9.1 years), older middle children (age 9.2–10.8), and oldest children (age ≥ 10.9). MR was evaluated using two tasks: the falling and the tilting task. Reflex intensity was scored and compared across sex and anxiety groups. Statistical analyses examined the association between MR scores and anxiety prevalence.MR scores were significantly higher—indicating reduced subcortical inhibition—in girls compared to boys, and in the anxiety group compared to the non-anxiety group. Boys without anxiety exhibited lower MR scores than boys with anxiety (p = .003) and girls without anxiety (p = .061). Significant differences in MR scores between anxiety and non-anxiety groups were observed only among the youngest (p &lt; .001) and oldest children (p = .027). Notably, boys with a completely uninhibited MR were nearly three times more likely to be classified as anxious.This study provides the first empirical evidence of a positive association between MR and anxiety in children. The relationship was particularly pronounced in cases of completely uninhibited MR, suggesting a potential neurodevelopmental marker for anxiety risk.</ns3:p>