Table 6.

Key Primitive Reflexes Elicited to Assess Muscle Activation after PBPI

NAME	AGE	STIMULUS	RESPONSE
Moro Reflex	0–4 months	Sudden neck extension into gravity	Shoulder abduction/external rotation and elbow flexion
Placing Reaction	0–6 months	Tactile stimulation along dorsum of hand at the edge of a table	Shoulder flexion with wrist extension
Grasp Reflex	0–4 months	Pressure in palm of hand	Flexion of the fingers
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR)	6 weeks to 6 months	Head turning toward one side	Elbow extension on face side; elbow flexion on skull side
Forward Protective Response	Onset 6–7 months	Hold infant securely at chest, move infant forward toward surface in head-first positions	Arm extension and abduction bilaterally
Sideward Protective Response	Onset 6–11 months	With infant in sitting gently move laterally to elicit protective response	Arm extension or abduction to the side to prevent falling

1) Fiorentino MR. Normal and Abnormal Development: the influence of Primitive Reflexes on Motor Development. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Pub. 1972. 2) Gabbard CP. Early motor development. In Gabbard CP (Ed) Lifelong Motor Development. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin Cummings, 2012, pp. 240–280.