Research at the Brazelton Institute

Using the NBO system with infants with disabilities
The Brazelton Institute received an award from the Noonan Foundation to test the effectiveness of the Newborn Behavioral Observations system (Nugent, Keefer, O'Brien, Johnson, Blanchard, 2005) on infants with disabilities in Early Intervention settings. The goal of the NBO system is to foster the parent-child relationship. By providing information and emotional support to parents of children with disabilities, we help them enhance the cognitive, social and emotional development of their infants. The information derived from the NBO can be integrated into the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) by the Early Intervention Specialist, as a form of anticipatory guidance, to help parents make informed choices about caregiving, following the recommendations outlined in Bright Futures by Green and Palfrey (2000).

This study is a collaborative project between the Brazelton Institute at Childrenās Hospital and the North Shore ARC, which serves individuals with mental retardation as well as developmental and other disabilities, in 97 communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this study, a multidisciplinary cadre of ARC Early Intervention specialists were trained to integrate the NBO into their weekly home visit over the first three months of life. A total of 240 home visits will be conducted as part of the study. This study will test out the effectiveness of the NBO with at-risk infants and evaluate its impact on the mother infant relationship and its impact on the provider's practice. If the study can demonstrate significant effects of the NBO on mothers of at-risk infants, it will have profound implications for very early assessment and intervention with infants who are at-risk for developmental delays and will provide evidence for the value of the NBO system as a model of primary prevention and evidence-based practice. Secondly, it will provide a blueprint for a unique training model for training and mentoring providers from different disciplines, to work with infants and families in the first months of life.

Key Personnel:

• J. Kevin Nugent, Ph.D., Brazelton Institute, Children's Hospital, Principal Investigator
  
• Martha Levine, R.P.T., Program Director, Cape Ann Early Intervention
  
• Mei-Chiuing Shih, Ph.D., Children's Hospital
  
• Catherine Finn, Ed.D., Wheelock College
  
• Kate Campbell, M.Ed., Director, Healthy Foundations, North Shore ARC
  
• Yvette Blanchard, Sc.D, PT., University of Hartford, Brazelton Institute
  
• Amy Alberts, M.A. Brazelton Institute, Children's Hospital