8 Reasons Why MNRI Could be Beneficial to Your Child

1. If they were born premature, c-section or you were induced (especially with pitocin)

The Masgutova Method works with the primary/primitive reflexes that are developed while your child is in utero. During the birth process, the baby will use these reflexes to initiate the birth process and come into the world. If there is an outside source that affects the baby’s use of these reflexes, whether it is pitocin to force initiation of the birth process before the child is ready or the baby comes out of the belly instead of the birth canal, then the brain and body of the newborn’s neurological system is unsure what to think and therefore will cause a developmental delay with the reflexes that were affected. This can include babies that were stuck in the birth canal for a prolonged period of time, were pulled on or vacuumed out, or went a while without oxygen. Of course, there are very real medial, life-saving reasons for these birthing procedures to take place but it is good news that the negative effects of these procedures can quite possibly be overcome.

2. If your child is/was delayed in or skipped any developmental milestones (ex. crawling, walking, speaking, etc.)

As your child matures, these reflexes are maturing and developing into the lifelong reflexes we see in adults. If, for whatever reason, a reflex does not mature then it will likely result in delayed development as the maturing of these reflexes cause the maturing of your child’s movements.

3. If you or your child has experienced any known trauma

the brain cares about one thing: survival. If there are any threats to your survival then the brain will remember this negative outcome to an action and take a different course next time so that the negative outcome doesn’t happen again. For example, you trip and break your ankle. The next time you trip, your brain will not initiate the same reaction to the trip that it did before because obviously it did not end well. Also, depending on the severity of the trauma, your nervous system may not settle back down and realize that it is again safe. Your brain and body would be acting as if you were still stuck in that traumatic event. Working to integrate these reflexes could be what is needed to reregulate your nervous system and allow your body to feel safe again. Remember, not all tramas are obvious. It could be as simple as your child tripped when they were first learning to walk - just depends on how your body perceives the situation.

4. If your child has been diagnosed (or you suspect) with a behavior disorder

When the body is stressed and unsure how to react, it will react in ways that it knows how to based on the stimulus that it is given. For example, if a child is hyperactive it usually means that he/she is getting lots of sensory stimulus and the brain/body is unsure how to organize it to make sense of it. By integrating these primary reflexes, we can improve the sensory system of your child which will allow them to feel safe and make sense of the environment around them so that he/she knows how to respond/react.

5. If your child has trouble regulating emotions/boundaries

Similar to the response of #4, typically when a child has trouble regulating emotions, it is likely because the brain is unsure how to process the information that it is getting from the sensory system.

We all know that it can be difficult to talk logically to a child, these reflexes are how the brain “communicates” with the outside world. If we can improve this communication system then we can improve the way in which your child expresses themselves: with talk, action, emotion, etc.

6. If your child is in PT/OT/speech and hasn’t gotten the progress you would like

Most children are in these therapies for a developmental delay. So the reasoning will be similar to that of number 2. If you haven’t seen progress or have had limited progress with these therapies, it may be because your child doesn’t have the foundational reflexes to these movements/actions. It would be similar if you were trying to drive a car but the steering wheel isn't fully connected to the tires. You can practice steering the car all you want but if the wheel and the tires aren't able to communicate effectively then it is going to be harder to steer than it needs to be. Improve the connection between the wheel and the tires and you should be able to get where you are wanting to go much easier. These reflexes may just be the connection you are looking for, for your child. However, you may want to continue these therapies as we are working on the reflexes for your child to fine tune any motor processing as well as having a measurable way to see change.

7. If your child has poor fine and gross motor coordination

similar to number 2 and 6, coordination is something that is developed overtime. But it is hard to develop without the foundational blocks. Integrating these reflexes will help your child develop and therefore will likely improve coordination.

8. If your child has experienced strokes, seizures or a concussion

any incident that affects the brain will likely have a strong effect on the neurological functioning of the body. The Masgutova Method is a great way to help get the neurological system functioning the way that it should and hopefully bring your child to the highest level of development that they can achieve.