The Rooting Reflex is important in helping an infant locate food and breastfeed. It develops during pregnancy and continues until the baby is about 4 months old.  You will notice the Rooting Reflex in a newborn if you brush your finger down one side of the mouth. The baby will turn toward the stroke and open the mouth. This is normal but should integrate (disappear) in about 4 months.

Children with eating disorders aggravated by a Retained Rooting Reflex will have a constant urge to have something in their mouth, yet are often sensitive to textures. These ones end up being the ones that are always chewing on something plastic, drools or struggling to form their words properly.

The Retained Rooting Reflex can cause the tongue to lie too far forward in the mouth. This can cause difficulty swallowing and chewing their food.

If it is not properly integrated, it can contribute to problems in

Retained Rooting Reflex Symptoms

• Tongue lies too far forward
• Hypersensitive around the mouth
• Difficulty with textures and solid foods
• Thumb sucking
• Speech and articulation problems
• Difficulty swallowing and chewing
• Dribbling
• Hormone imbalance
• Thyroid problems and autoimmune tendency
• Dexterity problems when talking
• Handwriting

Even if they don’t display any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to do a quick test on them, as there may be other functions that are affected by it that are still unknown.