© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. In lieu of a references page for each blog post, I have included the references for the entire subject, to be expanded as content increases. For ease, I include the author’s last name in the blog paragraph for more important works. Polyvagal Acupuncture (TM) and Read More
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture® The Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR) is the earliest-appearing defensive reflex in fetal development, emerging as early as 5–8 weeks of gestation. It precedes all motoric fight-or-flight responses and represents the organism’s first organized reaction to threat: tonic immobility. This freeze state is characterized by stillness, bradycardia, breath-holding, and
The Moro Reflex, distinct from the simpler Startle Reflex, is a higher-order primitive reflex that appears at birth and is typically integrated by 4–6 months of age. It is triggered by a sudden loss of support—as if the infant is falling—and results in a global motor response: the arms and legs shoot outward, hands open
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. Most primitive reflex training programs, particularly those focused on pediatrics, emphasize postural and motor pattern reflexes such as ATNR, STNR, and TLR. Yet many of my early classes omitted the most foundational layer of the reflex hierarchy: the freeze responses. Startle, Fear Paralysis Reflex (FPR), and Core Tendon Guard
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. First Published on Down the Polyvagal Rabbit Hole, March 2024 https://polyvagalacupuncture.blogspot.com/2024/03/tonic-labyrinthine-reflex-tlr.html Author: Dr. Jennifer Moffitt The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) is one of the earliest reflexes to appear in human development, emerging in utero and typically integrating by 4–6 months of age, though postural traces often persist
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. The Landau Reflex emerges around 3–4 months of age and typically integrates between 12–24 months, depending on trunk tone maturity and the resolution of earlier primitive reflexes. It appears only after foundational flexor patterns—particularly the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR), Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), and residual Moro
© 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. The Spinal Galant Reflex appears around 20 weeks of gestation and typically integrates by 9 months of age. This reflex is triggered when the skin along the side of the infant’s back is stroked, causing the infant to curve their body towards the stimulated side. The Spinal
Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR): The Primitive Spiral of Reach and Recoil © 2025 J. Moffitt. Registered U.S. Copyright Office. Polyvagal Acupuncture®. The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) emerges around 18 weeks gestation and should be fully integrated by 6 months of age. Often called the “fencer’s pose,” ATNR is activated when the infant’s head turns to
