Everything You Need to Know About the Palmar Grasp Reflex
Have you ever noticed how a newborn grips your finger tightly when you place it in their palm? That’s the Palmar Grasp Reflex in action! This primitive reflex is present at birth and helps babies develop hand strength and coordination, but if it doesn’t integrate properly, it can lead to fine motor challenges, speech delays, and sensory sensitivities later in life.
TL;DR: The Palmar Grasp Reflex helps newborns develop hand strength and coordination, but if it’s still present after 6 months of age, it can lead to fine motor delays, speech difficulties, and sensory sensitivities. Primitive reflex integration therapy can improve handwriting, hand control, and oral motor skills, helping children feel more confident in daily tasks.
In this post, we’ll cover:
What the Palmar Grasp Reflex is
How the Palmar Grasp Reflex helps babies develop
At what age the Palmar Grasp Reflex should be integrated
Signs of a retained Palmar Grasp Reflex
How primitive reflex integration therapy can help address a retained Palmar Grasp Reflex
What Is the Palmar Grasp Reflex?
The Palmar Grasp Reflex is a baby’s automatic gripping response when something touches their palm. This reflex causes their fingers to close tightly around the object—whether it’s your finger, their blanket, or even their own clothes!
Since this movement is involuntary, babies do not have control over their grip yet, but this reflex plays a key role in:
Developing hand strength and fine motor skills
Helping babies prepare for voluntarily grasping and releasing objects
Building a connection between the hands and mouth, which is incredibly important for both feeding and speech
Interestingly, the Palmar Grasp Reflex is linked to sucking movements! You might notice that when a baby sucks on a bottle or nurses, their hands clench at the same time. This connection helps develop coordination between hand, mouth, and speech movements as they grow.
When Should the Palmar Grasp Reflex Go Away?
The Palmar Grasp Reflex develops in the womb around 11 weeks gestation and is fully present at birth. It should naturally integrate between 3 to 6 months of age, allowing the baby to:
Start reaching for objects with purpose
Develop hand-eye coordination
Prepare for grasping, releasing, and manipulating objects
If the Palmar Grasp Reflex does not integrate, it can cause difficulties with fine motor skills, speech, and sensory processing.
Symptoms of a Retained Palmar Grasp Reflex in Children
A retained Palmar Grasp Reflex can lead to problems with hand control, coordination, and even oral motor development. Signs of an unintegrated Palmar Grasp Reflex include:
🚩 Poor fine motor skills – Trouble picking up or effectively interacting with small objects, handwriting, utensil use, or fastening buttons, completing zippers, tying shoes, etc.
🚩 Thumb sucking or nail biting – Continues beyond 18 months due to lingering reflex activity
🚩 Mouth movements when using hands – Sticking tongue out, jaw moving, jaw clenching, etc. when engaging in fine motor tasks such as handwriting
🚩 Speech and articulation difficulties – Struggles with clear pronunciation due to the hand-mouth connection
🚩 Tactile hypersensitivity – Discomfort with certain textures, particularly on the hands
🚩 Left/right confusion – Difficulty with directionality and coordination
🚩 Dysgraphia – Challenges with writing, letter formation, or holding a pencil properly
Since the Palmar Grasp Reflex is closely connected to the Rooting and Suck Reflexes, children with an unintegrated Palmar Grasp may also have feeding, speech, or oral motor challenges.
How Is the Palmar Grasp Reflex Integrated?
If the Palmar Grasp Reflex does not integrate naturally, primitive reflex integration therapy can help! A trained occupational therapist may use:
Fine motor exercises – Activities that improve grasp strength, coordination, and finger control
Sensory integration techniques – Helping reduce hypersensitivity to touch
Hand-mouth coordination activities – Strengthening the connection between oral motor and fine motor skills
Handwriting and daily living skill development – Teaching proper grip and hand control for everyday tasks
Since the Palmar Grasp Reflex is linked to the Rooting and Suck Reflexes, working on multiple reflexes may be necessary for full integration.
Why Primitive Reflex Integration Matters
When primitive reflexes don’t integrate properly, they can create challenges with learning, coordination, and fine motor development. Addressing a retained Palmar Grasp Reflex can help children:
✔ Improve handwriting and fine motor skills
✔ Strengthen speech and articulation
✔ Reduce thumb sucking, nail biting, or self-injurious behaviors
✔ Develop better hand control for daily activities
✔ Feel more comfortable with touch and textures
If your child struggles with handwriting, fine motor tasks, or speech development, primitive reflex integration therapy could be the missing piece!
Still not sure if Primitive Reflex Integration is right for your child? Use our FREE Screening Checklist!
At TheraPlay LA, our expert therapists specialize in primitive reflex integration to help children develop the skills they need to succeed. If you’re curious about whether a retained Palmar Grasp Reflex is affecting your child, contact us today to learn more!
