Reflexes of position are directly connected to the functioning of balance, and affect posture and muscle tone.
The tonic labyrinthine reflex (TLR) is a reflex which originates (receptor) in the otolith of the internal ear. The development of head control provides one example of the continuous interaction between reflex development and postural control.
The asymmetrical tonic neck reflex (ATNR) occurs in response to rotation and emerges around 18 weeks’ gestation, often coinciding with the time the mother starts to become aware of her baby’s movements.
The symmetrical tonic neck reflex (STNR) is observed in premature infants at 30 weeks’ gestation and reappears at six to eight months of age as the infant prepares to push itself up off the ground from the prone position in preparation for creeping on hands and knees.
Primitive reflexes provide support to higher centers involved in the control of eye movements and in visual perception.
