Neuro Developmental delay may be described as an immaturity within the central nervous system. In order for the central nervous system to work efficiently all of the other systems must work in harmony with it. Sometimes this does not happen if immature responses still remain active in the system.

Babies move around in the uterus and it has long been established that infant reflexes are the dominant form of human movement before birth and in the first few months of life. These reflexive movements are involuntary and are stimulated without involvement of the higher centres in the brain. Some are important to help the baby come through the birth canal in a spontaneous vertex delivery and others help the baby to survive his/her early months of life. Shortly after birth part of the paediatric examination includes testing for the presence of some of those primitive reflexes, in particular those that are necessary for survival. Some of the reflexes tested at this time include the familiar infant suck, rooting and palmar grasp reflexes. If those (and others) reflexes are absent or weak in a full term infant the baby is placed under close observation in the special care baby unit and a neural disorder may be suspected.

These set of primitive reflexes are designed to equip the baby to ensure immediate response to their new environment and to his changing needs. Primitive reflexes are automatic, stereotyped movements, directed from the brain stem and executed without cortical involvement. They are essential for the baby’s survival in the first few weeks of life. And they provide rudimentary training for many later voluntary skills.

If the primitive reflexes remain active beyond 6-12 months of life, this may prevent development of the succeeding postural reflexes, which should emerge to enable the maturing child to interact effectively with his environment. If a cluster of aberrant reflexes are present, neurodevelopmental delay (NDD) is said to exist.

In such cases, a reflex stimulation/inhibition program designed specifically for the child will treat the retained reflexes present. Children with NDD may develop compensatory mechanisms which can mask the underlying problems, making NDD difficult to identify. Sometimes the problem is only identified when an adolescent presents with dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention and concentration difficulties, or behavioral problems.