Primitive newborn reflexes and early motor patterns originate and are modulated by subcortical and brainstem neural structures.
The retrieved literature consistently supports the neurobiological consensus that primitive reflexes and early motor behaviors are mediated by subcortical structures (such as brainstem circuits, the basal ganglia, and spinal-supraspinal pathways) prior to complete cortical maturation and inhibition. Papers [3], [5], [10], and [11] directly link reflex behaviors and their control or reemergence to subcortical and brainstem mechanisms. No retrieved papers refute this claim.