T. Berry Brazelton, MD

T. Berry Brazelton, MD, Professor of Pediatrics Emeritus at Harvard Medical School, is one of the world’s foremost authorities on pediatrics and child development. Author of over 200 scholarly papers, he has also written forty books on pediatrics, child development and parenting. Translated into more than 20 languages, these include the now classic Infants and Mothers and the bestselling Touchpoints series. His ground-breaking Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) is now used worldwide to recognize the physical and neurological responses of newborns, as well as emotional well-being and individual differences. The NBAS has inspired numerous infant assessment tools and more than 1,000 research publications. It continues to transform our understanding and shaping of care-giving environments.

A tireless advocate for families with young children, Dr. Brazelton has been a leading force behind the pediatric healthcare revolution that opened hospital doors to parents and empowered them to become active participants in their children’s care. He has frequently appeared before Congressional committees, and played a pivotal role in the enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act that guarantees three months of maternity leave, and Public Law 99457, which extends the rights and protections of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to young children. In 1989, he was appointed to the National Commission on Children, raising public awareness of the plight of young children living in poverty, and urging the inclusion of their needs and rights in the national political agenda.

In 1993, he founded the Brazelton Touchpoints Center® (BTC) at Children’s Hospital, Boston where he continues to promote strengths-based, family-centered care in pediatric and early education settings around the world.