T. Berry Brazelton and Joanna Hawthorne

The Brazelton Center of Great Britain presented a Study Day at Clare College, Cambridge University, on March 27th 2006. The conference, Understanding Newborn Behavior, was organized by Dr. Joanna Hawthorne and was attended by almost 200 delegates, including participants from the UK, Japan, and many countries in Europe and the Middle East.

The morning session was chaired by Joanna Hawthorne and the introductory NBAS overview was presented by Betty Hutchon. J. Kevin Nugent, Director, the Brazelton Institute, gave the keynote address, Looking back, looking forward: What we now know about newborn infants and their families and what we need to do next. Susan Pawlby and Robin Schacht, Institute of Psychiatry, London, discussed the use of the NBAS in a study of maternal depression and personality disorder. Maggie Redshaw, National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU), chaired the afternoon session and P.O. Svanberg described the use of the NBAS in the context of the Sunderland Infant Programme. Alison Pritchard then discussed the use of the NBAS in the Baby Stars Programme in Middlesborough. Karen White, a mother of a premature infant born at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, described the effects of the NBAS on her ability to respond to her new infant and how the NBAS clinical session with Joanna Hawthorne, made such a difference in her own adaptation as a mother of a low birthweight, premature infant. The final remarks were delivered by Rodney Rivers, Reader Emeritus in Paediatrics at Imperial College and Trustee, the Brazelton Centre in Great Britain. The day ended with an organ recital at Clare College Chapel. The conference was deemed an outstanding success both by the Brazelton Center and by all who attended.

A Special Forum for trained NBAS examiners and for NBAS trainees was held on the following day, March 28th, in the Latimer Room, Old Court, Clare College. Group leaders include Joanna Hawthorne, Maggie Redshaw, Inga Warren, and Betty Hutchon (Brazelton Center in Great Britain). J. Kevin Nugent spoke on child guidance and culture and on clinical principles guiding the use of the NBAS. Dr. Gherardo Rapizardi and Adrianne Davidson (Florence) described their experiences in training professionals in the NBAS in Italy, Dr. Marie Grenet described her experience in France, and Dr. Shohei Ohgi described the NBAS-based studies that he and his colleagues have conducted in Japan. Finally, Joanna Hawthorne, Betty Hutchon, Inga Warren, and Maggie Redshaw shared their experiences in using the NBAS in clinical settings with both low-risk and high-risk infants.