The First Anniversary - March 13th, 2019

Joao Gomes Pedro (Portugal) writes: 

It´s a very special feeling to know we are now hundreds of professionals sharing everyday an immense Heritage of Knowledge.  Our Mission brings our togetherness, the strength to follow up with creativity Berry’s legacy, reinforced with the proximity of all of us.  We learned from Berry to be humans who share Passion, Values and Love. This is the Web of our Scientific Progress.  We celebrate 101BB (B for Berry, B for Baby AND 101 for Years) promoting  diversity, is also Kevin´s message. The best for all of you and for each one of you to be celebrated the  13th this March.

Jean Cole (USA) writes: 

Thank you so much for sharing this. It is simply wonderful and great to know his work will continue. When I look at that charming smile which lit up his whole face, I have so many happy memories of my time with you all. It was an honor and a privilege to be part of his work. I will never forget any of it. Warmest regards.

Mariko Iwayama (Japan) writes: 

I cannot believe it’s almost a year. I must say that every time I watch Dr. Brazelton doing NBAS, I feel so warm and happy. Thank you for making this link so that we all can watch him in the video whenever we want to.I think the history and timeline is so good with Dr. Brazelton and other colleagues’ pictures (looking so young!!).  It is so wonderful that we can track down the work that many people have done over the years and feel the passion and know where we are on the track and it makes us think where to go from here. Thank you so much for your effort in making this website. I think it’s wonderful to be connected with people with similar minds.

Jayne Singer (USA) writes: 

Hard to believe indeed.  I have to admit, it was hard to facilitate the most recent NBO training here in Boston a couple of weeks ago with Berry’s anniversary coming and the training at the Medical School amid a big snow storm threatening to cancel.  Such were the very conditions last year on the day we lost Berry during an NBO training. It was eerie. Nonetheless, it is a great comfort to me to know that you all are out there continuing his work and legacy.

Rita al Minyawi (UK) writes:

Inge Nickell and I held an NBO training in Cambridge on this anniversary and we remembered Berry and the gift he has given us with our new members of the worldwide Brazelton family. 

Unni Tranaas-Vannebo (Norway) writes: 

Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful memories with us.  Just now Nina Cheetham and I are in Kristiansand (the Southernmost town in Norway) and we  have started a new NBO training with 35 persons today.  We have given our tribute to Berry and talked about what he has meant for the sight of the newborn child.

Joanna Hawthorne (UK)writes: 

Thank you for this.  What a wonderful reminder of that summer at Berry's house, with all our dear colleagues.  I have nothing but lovely memories of times with Dr. B. all over the world…..I shall be thinking of all of you in Boston tomorrow.I think of him everyday as I watch my grandson, now 11 months old.  I shall be thinking of him and all my colleagues on the anniversary of his death.  I miss him very much. 

Beulah Warren (Australia) writes:

Thank you for the link to the Website.  Congratulations, it contains a wealth of information and is a great tribute to Berry and yourself  in how you have extended and consolidated his work.  I feel honoured to have known and been involved in many learning situations with Berry.  His influence continues because of the  many people he touched and trained. I feel sure the website will be well used by the NBAS & NBO family throughout the world.

Marie-Anne Waugh (Australia) writes: 

Thanks so much for sending a copy of the tributes. How lovely to have had that gathering in Barnstable and to have a recording of both Berry and Chrissy. It must have been a very special day for all who attended. It is so thoughtful of you to send this on the anniversary of Berry’s passing. There are so many wonderful memories of Berry to treasure and the tributes from all across the globe are a profound acknowledgement of the multifaceted impact of his work. What a privilege to have known and worked with all at the CDU during our years in Boston. 

Karolina Isio-Kurpińska (Poland) writes:

Thank you so much for sharing the lovely video. It seems impossible it’s been a year already! We do cherish the memory of Dr. Brazelton and just try to keep on carrying his work to the parents and babies in our country - hoping to make it a better place for families. All the best from Poland to all the NBAS/NBO family.

Judy Palfrey (USA) writes: 

Thanks Kevin. This is a beautiful video. Your ending is very appropriate.

Danielle Atkins (New Zealand) writes: 

Thank you for all that you do for the NBO/NBAS international community. I think the new website is a wonderful resource and I hope it becomes the place to visit for robust, insightful discussions and shared knowledge. I spent a quiet some time reviewing the tributes to Berry, reflecting on how much I have learnt and how lucky I have been to be so well supported by the Brazelton community including yourself, Beulah, Betty, Joanna (and the UK team), Susan and Campbell.

Phyllis Klaus (USA) writes:

Thank you so much for sending the tribute video for Berry.  It was so moving and it was kind of you to include me.  I hope you and your family are well. I appreciate all of the good work that you and the Brazelton Institute have created.  It would be nice if our paths crossed again, but if they don't physically, they always will in thought. With Affection. 

Drina Candilis-Huisman (France) writes: 

A beautiful film remembering these nice days together in Barnstable. I was moved by it. Thanks a lot

Yvette Blanchard (USA) writes: 

Thank you so much for sharing these Kevin. It brings back such wonderful memories. A magic moment. I’m very grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of this family.

 Kristie Brandt (USA) writes:

I miss him so terribly, and all the more this week. The videos are such a reminder of his legacy. I see the Barnstable house and my heart aches. 

Susan Pawlby (UK) writes:

Thank you so much for sharing all these memories with us. Berry was indeed an amazing visionary with a huge legacy.With very best wishes. 

Jorunn Tunby (Norway) writes 

Thank you so much for sharing these videos. I will save them and treasure them, seeing Barry and you and good friends and mentors like Jean and Yvette. What a wonderful work he started and that is still so important and evolving.I am so happy that Inger Pauline, Unni and Kari made tributes from Norway.  The NBAS and NBO lives and evolves. 

Henrik Norholt (Denmark) writes:  

Thank you for sending the video. What a lovely tribute! So touching to see many of the people that I have met over the years describe the impact of Dr Brazelton's and your work. You really both of you changed the medical perspective on the baby and I am forever indebted to you both in the work I am doing, where I never fail to quote you to always include the baby in whatever work we do with parents. 

Roseanne Clark (USA) writes:  

I am holding you in my heart today as you are feeling the sadness and loss of your dear friend and colleague, Berry. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful video and for keeping his legacy alive and benefitting so many infants, their parents and those who support them.

Karin Stjernqvist (Sweden) writes: 

Berry is in my thoughts almost every day. He and you have taught me so much about infants - knowledge I still often use.  I moderated the first session at "The Stockhom Conference on Ultra-Early intervention" (with Heidi Als as the keynote speaker) and I began my presentation by remembering Berry and his work.

Mario Becker (Brazil) writes 

Kevin and ALL the grreaaaat* "Brazelton tribe".  Thank you for such extended joyous moments brought with these videos!As recently as two days ago I had again the opportunity to use Berry's approaches with a mother of a 10 months old baby whose husband, baby's father, died a month ago. We're - and will continue to be - in touch! I continue to blaze this trail. 

Remembering Dr. Berry Brazelton

What a wonderful life to celebrate.- Bob Emde, Professor of Psychiatry Eme ritus, University of Colorado School of Medicine

On March 13th., 2018, T Berry Brazelton passed away just a month short of his 100th birthday. He had been increasingly frail lately, but still came into the office last Monday. I visited with him a few weeks ago at his home in Barnstable and despite being quite weak, he still asked great questions and had a fantastic sense of humor and love of life. Berry was the best observer of children I have ever seen. He seemed to know what they were thinking and how to connect to them. He also could make a bond with just about any parent all over the world. We used to have Brazelton Rounds on the Infant and Toddler ward and we would present cases to him and he would do an evaluation of the child in front of all the residents and nurses. He could always find a special thing about both the baby and the parents. Berry was also an incredible role model for many of us early Developmental-Behavioral Pediatricians nationally and internationally.- Leonard A Rappaport MD, MS; Chief, Division of Developmental Medicine; Boston Childrens Hospital

I am filled with sorrow. Thanks to Berry Brazelton, I was able to grow up. - Shohei Ohgi, Ph.D., President, Seirei Christopher University (SCU); Director of NBAS and NBO training, Japan

I feel enormously sad for all of you who worked so closely with him for so many, many years. - Deborah J. Weatherston, PhD, IMHE® IV; Executive Director, Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health, Inc.

We have had the delight of both working in Denmark in the last two weeks, sharing all the wonderful work that Dr B and off course you have taught us over the years, to over 70 practitioners. There is no doubt that his soul will carry on being with us and enable us to continue the work with babies and families which was so important to him and all of us. Our thoughts are with his family and all of you across the world who I’m sure like us here in Denmark are reflecting fondly of the memories of our encounters with Dr B. - Inge Krogh Nickell MA BSc HV RN; Trainer in NBO and NBAS for Brazelton Centre UK

I woke up to the sad news about Berry Brazelton. Also in Sweden, Berry made a great impact and we will remember him with warmth. He visited and supported us in our struggle to improve infant mental health services and of his books "Touchpoints" in Swedish named "Barn - om utveckling och uppfostran under de första sex åren" became well known and was widely read. He was my NCCIP-mentor supporting my fellowship 1987-1988, giving me the opportunity to attend two fellow-weeks, and to further deepen my experiences through visits to IMH clinics all around US. I will remember Berry's commitment and enthusiasm, making everyone who met him feel special. - Pia Mothander, Sweden

What a magnificent soul we have just lost.- Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D. Julius B. Richmond FAMRI Professor of Child Health and Development, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Graduate School of Education

We will keep on carrying the torch that Berry inspired in our hearts and souls. - Nittaya J  Kotchabhakdi  MD, Developmental Behavioreal Pediatrics Specialist

We still have an amazing man to celebrate, remember and love. - Peggy Kaufman, Founding Director of the Center for Early Relationship Support of Jewish Family & Children's Service, Waltham, Mass.

I think we have to honour his life because he’s left a wonderful legacy; He made a turning point in the research of Child Development. He’s helped so many children and families through his entire life. He’s also changed pediatrics’ practice (better pediatricians /better persons too : I feel so grateful ...) He has left an excellent team behind. But, remember that from now on, he’ll live forever every time that we observe a baby with a family.  God Bless you Dr Brazelton - Dr María José Álvarez Gómez: Pediatrician, Pamplona, Spain

It is sad Berry could not join the celebration of his birthday with many friends, but he is still with us in spirit and with the fruits of his work changing the world for children and their parents. I am very grateful I knew him as a colleague, teacher and friend of our family for more than half his ten decades. What a gracious smile and playful voice. No wonder newborns loved him. - Colwyn Trevarthen, Emeritus Professor of Child Psychology and Psychobiology at the University of Edinburgh

I know everyone in and around Children's is feeling this loss as are the many there in spirit who were touched by and enlightened by Dr. Brazelton .  There were/are many individuals from Children’s who had a lasting impact on me, and Dr. Brazelton (Berry) was among the most influential. It wasn't until later in my own career however that I've come to realize how vital his perspective was to both his students and others willing to listen and learn from him. Yes, we used to say that Dr. Brazelton could "talk to babies," but what he really understood---going far beyond what Piaget had argued---was that children are unique beings, influenced and affected by the actions and behaviors of adults, and never simply smaller versions of adults. It took a personality such as his and a true love for the wise things children do that made it so possible for him to be in tune with the feelings and the vulnerabilities of children, and I honestly believe that somewhere in that was the kernel of what we now read, research, and speak about concerning the developing brain.

 He taught me to be amazed at the richness of non-verbal communication in infants, and the beauty in the logic of emerging language in toddlers and children. His and Heidi Als’ landmark work in neonates informs every visit I have today with patients whenever the consideration turns to emotional trauma and other toxic effects. Being an alumnus of Boston Children’s Hospital means to have had the opportunity to learn directly from great thinkers and leaders in Pediatrics such as Dr. Brazelton. But learning to be amazed by children and knowing how to help them was his greatest gift. I have a feeling his legacy will continue as long as there are children in this world.- Lawrence Kaplan, Shriners Hospitals for Children — Springfield

We need to appreciate the relation between the deaths of Berry, who gave us a fundamental understanding of infants and parents, and ourselves, and Stephen Hawking, who gave us a fundamental understanding of the universe.  Both cared and wanted to enhance our lives and our place in relation to the universe and to each other.  And both succeeded. - Ed Tronick, Distinguished University Professor of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, UMASS Boston

He was a great pioneer on the field! - Puura Kaija, University of Tampere, Finland

I was so sad to learn that we will not be celebrating Berry’s 100th birthday. Berry’s invitation to come to Chiapas and extend his work there turned out to be a keystone for my career – not to mention the importance of his promise as our pediatrician to take care of my baby during my field research in Chiapas (Baby Matthew had almost died several times in his first 2 years of life). I wish I had had a chance to tell Berry that that baby’s films just won 6 Oscars! (Matthew is Co-President of Production at Fox Searchlight, the studio that produced and distributes Shape of Water and Six Billboards…..). Berry was always so interested in the subsequent lives of my children, his patients, until we left Boston in 1972. -Patricia Greenfield, Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology, UCLA

He was so important in my professional journey and he will always  remain present in my heart and in my mind as a charming and lively mentor and inspiration. - Marie-Paule Durieux,  Pédopsychiatre – Psychanalyste, Queen Fabiola Children's University Hospital, Brussels

Hearts heavy and broken. I was conducting an NBO training in Berry's office when I received the call. i don't usually take a call when training and I didn't recognize the number, but it all just flowed in a surreal fog-- I stepped out while answering, took some time on the call and after and made the decision to share the news with the participants given that there was no way for me to continue without doing so.  It was a profound day. They were wonderful. It was quite the drain managing my emotions while surrounded by Berry's face and belongings.  I did take a good long while at the end of the day to just sit alone in his rocking chair in his office for a long cry. Finishing the training seemed the most apt way to honor him and his legacy. - Jayne Singer, Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Brazelton Institute, NBO Trainer

He was our leader into the world of infancy and inspired so many of us to walk with babies and families in family formation. - Karen A. Fehringer, Ph.D. Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health; Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver

 I hoped strongly he could see the international "patchwork film" for his birthday...I have a lot of gratitude for him, and I know how deep inside of me lives for ever his marvelous transmission.- Claire deVriendt-Goldman, Psychiatrie · Kinderpsychiatrie; Edith Cavell Medical Centre, Brussels and NBAS Trainer

So sad to learn this news. I think we all were planning that Berry would live forever!! - Deborah Lisansky Beck, LICSW Assistant Professor of Social Work; Wheelock College

We share a deep sadness. The nobility of his soul was felt through his relationships, none more profound than yours with him. With gratitude for all that he has given us. - Alan Dodge Beck, Ph.D., Dean of the Department of Clinical Psychology William James College

Berry was one of the most amazing people ever to grace the halls of Boston Children's Hospital. He was one of my first attendings when I was a new intern and he was approaching 50. Without a doubt the most magical, mesmerizing, magnetic person with babies that I have seen or ever will see. The picture at the top of the attached article is exactly how babies and young children responded to Berry. He helped found the field of developmental behavioral pediatrics and quantified it with things like the Brazelton Scale of Development, but his greatest contribution was as a world spokesman for pediatrics to the public, filling the space previously occupied by Benjamin Spock. For the many years when I was a Gen Peds attending, I always used to have Berry come for rounds and just examine a baby. I would put a sheet on the floor and Berry and the baby (usually the orneriest one I could find) on the floor together with the rest of us seated on the perimeter watching his exam. He would inevitably tame the crying child in seconds and then, pulling objects from his pockets, proceed to demonstrate a developmental exam on the mesmerized child. I regret that none of you have had the chance to witness Berry's magic or that I didn't have the foresight to film it.He was also an exceptionally kind, gentle (esp with children), thoughtful and positive individual. A true gentleman. There are few singular people. Berry was one. - Sam Lux MD, Ph.D., Chief of Hematology/Oncology at Boston Children’s Hospital

Such a legacy Berry gifted the world with.  I delivered NBO training a few weeks back and the trainees were thrilled to have been certifying in his 100th year.  - Melanie Gunning, NHSLothian, Edinburgh, Scotland

A great man who has been an inspiration to me and many others for many years. Way before I was involved with NBO/NBAS I have a text book of his dating from the 1970s which I had/used as part of my health visitor training. - Margaret M Wood, Health Visiting and School Nursing Service, Middlesbrough Healthy Child, Britain

I was deeply saddened to receive news on Tuesday of Dr. Brazelton’s passing.  That quiet snowy day became one of reflection on his remarkable life and profound gratitude for his wise, generous, caring spirit. Like countless others around the world, Dr. Brazelton has been a mentor and inspiration for me – both as a parent and as an infant mental health clinician. Touchpoints guiding principles and Newborn Behavioral Observation shape the heart of my work with families.  I carry Dr. B with me to every home visit - he's in my seeing and in my listening to babies,  in my curiosity and respect for parents, in my compassion and reflective practice.   When I read his memoir recently, I learned more fully about the astonishing breadth and depth of his impact on the fields of pediatrics and mental health as well as his tireless advocacy in shaping public policy and role in creating and transforming family centered care.  His heart and mind had extraordinary reach!  I loved hearing Dr. B's stories, the intimacy of his reflections about his own childhood, and the revelations about the ways his consciousness, commitments, teaching and advocacy evolved over the decades of his life - shaped by his experiences as a parent, his work with thousands of children and parents, as well as his meaningful research and collaboration with practitioners around the world. A golden thread was his marriage and partnership with Christina and abiding love for his family and friends.  Dr. Brazelton’s life was rich with love, learning, community, and service. I’m immensely grateful for the blessing of his life and for his legacy. - Karin Lindfors, JF&CS, Waltham, MA, USA

He was a remarkable person and lived a long and fruitful life. His work and his attitude toward babies and understanding of the smallest human being will live longer among all colleagues who have been inspired of the whole NBO-System. - Reima Santala, Child Psychiatry, Well Baby Center in Lappeenranta, Helsinki,Finland

Berry was bigger than life - I have been touched by his enduring and infectious comments while examining a baby:  “This is a beautiful baby!” Of course, this was a beautiful baby - because, as he reminded us, all babies are beautiful. - Tim Oberlander, Developmental Pediatrician, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia

T. Berry Brazelton has been one of my heroes, personally when I was looking for guidance on parenting (Touchpoints fit) and professionally. - Diane Fox, Department of Developmental Disabilities, State of Ohio, USA

John and I got the call very early this morning and we were in San Jose, CA where I was preparing to go to work. Though we knew this was coming, we were overcome with the reality. He called John 3 times this past week to check and see how John was doing. I cannot comprehend the loss of his passion, genius, and generosity of spirit. We are his children, and so his intellectual DNA moves forward.

 I am struck that the great Steven Hawking left us today, too. Perhaps in the mystery of the spirit, memory, and the ancient carbon complexes that recycle to make us human, their essence has carried love, passion, and human generativity into the cosmos. - Dr. Kristie Brandt, Parent-Infant & Child Institute Director; Director of the University of California Davis Extension's Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellowship Program in Napa, CA

Although I have never met him personally, Dr Brazelton inspired - and continues to inspire- me as he has many others in the field of child development. His legacy will live in each of us. - Bernadette Carpio-Benitez, Makati Medical Center, Philippines

He lives through all of us. A man who lived... - Modar Sukkarieh, Pediatrician, Los Angeles, US

 So sad but so grateful to have had him as a teacher. He will go on in the hearts of everyone he has touched. I feel privileged in carrying on his work with teaching an NBO tomorrow. - Nancy Deacon, D.O., F.A.A.P, Shore Touch Pediatrics, Toms River, NJ

Broken hearts around the world. He gave us so much! - Claudia Quigg,  Founding Executive Director of Baby TALK, USA and NBO Trainer

What a great loss.  Dr. Brazelton has taught us a lot. His spirit will be carried with us. - Mariko Iwayama, Fukuoka School of Nursing & Midwifery, National Hospital , Fukuoka City, Japan.

I am so very sad to hear about Dr Brazelton’s death, may he rest in peace. He has touched my life for the last 15 years throughout my infant mental health career. I have learned so much from him, his writing, his language and understanding of children and the way he understand the baby and the parental relationship. I want his family to know the influence their father had on the Irish early years services and its workforce and community. What a great privilege to have known T.Berry for all this time and to have worked so closely together. Solas na bhFlaitheas ar a anam uasal. - Catherine Maguire, Clinical Psychologist, Cork, Ireland; Past President, Irish Association for Infant Mental Health

I feel grateful that I had the honor of meeting him and that he has been an inspirational force in my professional life. Rest in peace. - Carmen Rosa Noruña, Boston Medical Center

Profound sadness. What a life, and think about what he has given to all of us about the newborns and families. And what a gift to become nearly 100 years old. He will be missed and I will always remember his big, warm smile. - Unni Tranaas Vannebo, RBUP, Norway and NBO Master Trainer

He enlightened our lives and his flame will live on forever as we carry on with his vision of a better future for babies and families. I have been honored and humbled to have been in his sphere if only for fleeting moments in his long life. He will be truly missed. - Rita Al-Minyawi, Senior Sister, NICU Rosie Hospital, Cambridge and NBAS and NBO Trainer

A father to whole fields of thinking, practice and sharing. What an extraordinary person. - Kathy Crouch, Mallee District Aboriginal Services, Australia

Berry touched and inspired the lives of so many professionals, parents, and babies.  Many of us reflect much that we learned and absorbed through knowing him every day in our work. - Joy D. Osofsky, Ph.D. Paul J. Ramsay Chair of Psychiatry; Barbara Lemann Professor of Child Welfare, LSU Health Sciences Center; New Orleans

Dr. Brazelton did a very good job during his journey between us and his heritage makes him immortal. He will still live in the smile of every child we can help with his lessons. So grateful of met him.- Claudia Regina Lindgren Alves, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

We have a legacy to live up to, each and every one of us. - Tanya Swezey Stabinsky, Yad B Yad Children's Center LLC, Temple Emanuel of Tempe, AZ

I’m shocked to hear the sad news. I couldn’t stop missing him day and night. I recall the time I met Dr. Brazelton in Edinburgh and Boston. I miss his amiable smile, modesty and warmth. He is always like a baby, pure, sunny and hopeful. He devotes his career to working with babies, understanding baby’s language, helping families. He changed world and his thinking influenced the way knowing about and communicate with baby. Based on his theories and achievement, we could understand infant’s behavior and we would like to do more effort to popularize NBAS and NBO. Dr. Brazelton is my spiritual mentor, his spirit and theories guide me through constantly understanding infant behavior and helping more families in China in my career. Berry lives in our heart forever. - Hui Li, Zhongliang Zhu and our team members, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi, China

 He will be very much missed, specially his beautiful smile and laugh. I will never forget him, I feel very honored to have had the chance to meet him. - Alejandra Viloria, formerly the Brazelton Institute and the Kennedy School at Harvard

I feel so privileged to have known him. He was such fun and the scale changed my life. - Jean Cole, NBAS Trainer Emeritus

He left a legacy that will live forever. I am grateful to have met him last 2015. - Alexis Reyes, Associate Professor in Pediatrics at the University of the Philippines

Te Aroha

Te aroha
Te whakapono
Te rangimarie
Tatou tatou e

It is love
It is hope
It is peace

That will bind us all together. 

Go well Berry, you have been such an inspirational teacher and have taught me so much. Thank you. Xx - Danieille Atkins, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

Such a tremendous loss.. Such a sad day... He lives on in all of the work and the lives he touched, both families and professionals. -Aditi Subramaniam, Boston Family Engagement Network and the Brazelton Institute and NBO Trainer

This is a collective loss.  He did so many amazing contributions! - Griselda Oliver, University of California San Francisco · UCSF Medical Center ·

We are deeply saddened to wake up to this news this morning. Valete to a great man and friend. We will miss him! - Marie-Anne and David Waugh, Sydney, Australia

I am so grateful I had the opportunity to know Berry. Here I am with Berry the day after Eric was born. He took time to visit me at Beth Israel. - Yvette Blanchard, Sacred Heart University, Connecticut and Master Trainer NBAS and NBO

It is a great loss indeed. I am thankful that I was able to hear him and meet him when I was a university student in Mexico City. After that I knew someday I would learn how to do become a baby whisperer, so I could help parents understand their infant's behavior. Glad to say that I accomplished that and more. Thank you Dr Brazelton for your kindness and generosity. - Maria Andrea Mancera, Mexico

Beautiful to see the recognition of Berry from the Medical School at Harvard. - Beulah Warren

Received my new "Brazelton Kit" today. I am thinking of the pride I felt when early in my career I described my self as a Brazelton Fellow.  I will be doing the Brazelton on my new grandson in a few days and thinking of Berry.  I miss him already. - Daniel Kessler, Former CDU Fellow, Boston

I am so devastated. I had plan to come to the 100 anniversary conference to see him once again, and now I an so sad, orphan in a way of my professional father. Berry gave me his trust, and he allowed me to be free of practicing the medicine I wanted and dreamed. I hope I will keep the candle alive. I was so happy to having been able to see him last year and tell him how much I loved him. His passion of babies and humans and life is a pathway I want to follow. - Marie Grenet, CAMSP Hôpital Nord - Marseille – France

I wish people like Dr. Brazelton could live forever, to enlighten our lives. - Livia Magalhães, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte UFMG; Brazil

It is impossible to realize that such a vivid spirit could disappear. He help so many people make sense of their life and understand each other. He was the Gandhi of the newborn! And he was counting on us to move it ahead, - Nadia Bruschweiler-Stern, Founder and Director of the Brazelton Center, Switzerland

 A great light is passing from us. - Elizabeth H. Maury, Ph.D.

He has made such a huge difference for our global understanding of child development and the importance of parenting. - Inger-Pauline Landsem, University Hospital of Northern Norway

What a wonderful life.  - Hiram Fitzgerald, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology, Michigan State University

I feel fortunate and honored to get to learn about Berry's remarkable work and meet him in person. - Kaori Hattori de Panepinto, Cambridge, Mass. USA

Definitely a huge loss for thousands of families and health education, and many other professionals around the world. Berry's legacy will only continue to grow!! - Mario Becker, Campinas, Brazil

Berry and Chrissie have been very very special for us. We will cherish their thoughtfulness and kindness, and our long-lasting relationship with fondest memories. - Naiphinich Kotchabhakdi, Ph.D. Consultant on Medicine and Public Health, National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT)

 The world has lost a gem. May Berry now rest in peace and indeed "may his soul sit close to his God" for he has left a great legacy for us all to follow. - Nancy Macalaster, Hancock, New Hampshire

He was loved. His legacy lives on through our work. - DeeAnn Davies, Director of Early Childhood Outreach and Pediatric Clinical Psychology, Summit Health Care, Arizona

I feel honored and privileged to have met him in Edinburgh. His youthful inquisitive nature will be with me forever. He has touched so many lives – particularly of our vulnerable newborn babies around the world. - Topun Austin, Consultant Neonatologist, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, England

He is a magnificent soul, who surely deserves a seat close to God, and will remain in our hearts forever. - Dorothy Richardson, University of Massachusetts Infant-Parent Mental Health Postgraduate Certificate Fellowship Program

Everyone is so sad in the UK Centre to learn about the news, but mostly our thoughts are about celebrating his remarkable legacy. I am so sorry I didn't get the chance to meet him; but his work is so inspirational that I am sure he will be remembered for generations to come. - Madeleine Cassidy, CEO, Brazelton Center, Cambridge, England

He will always be a very special man and role model in my life. This is a GREAT loss of all of us.  I see him smiling up in heaven with his eyes twinkling and gathering all of those babies, moms and dads in his arms. - Micki Meier, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Capstone Certificate Program

What an inspirational clinician and man- someone who will continue to inspire young clinicians and researchers such as myself for many, many years to come. - Aoife Menton, Clinical Psychologist, Dublin, Ireland

What a loss for this world; a world made better by Berry's life and passion. - M. Ann Easterbrooks, Ph.D. Professor, Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, Tufts University

He was truly a wonderful soul, like none I've ever met before. - Emily Savage-McGlynn, University of Cambridge, England

He has inspired so many with his profound insights, and I feel privileged to be part of this wonderful group of people who all have been guided by his wisdom. - Claudia M. Gold, MD,

I feel so privileged to have met him at the WAIMH congress in Edinburgh in 2014.  His work has inspired me and so many other people I know.  As a clinician, ever since my NBAS training, I approach babies and their families in an entirely different way.  Even as a new mother, I feel his work has helped me to understand my son and build a close bond in those early months.  His passing will be a huge loss to many families and the pediatric community, but his work will still live on. - Chuen Wai Lee, Clinical Research Fellow in Neonatal Medicine, England

What a great life he was able to have! We should all be so lucky. - Nat Reade, Author, Florence, Massachusetts, USA

Dr. Brazelton was a gift in this world for all the children. - Regina Elton, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

For us he was Dr Brazelton, admired before meeting him. His legacy will remain for ever. - Dr María José Álvarez Gómez . Primary Care Pediatrician . Health Service in Navarra; Spain

Way back in 1981 when I was a new doctoral student at Boston University I wrote to Dr. Brazelton on a long shot asking if he would consider me for a research assistant position in the Child Development Unit.  He didn’t bring in PhD students, only MD Fellows, but I was a nurse (licensed to work in a hospital), with interests in line the lab’s, and able to help.  He gave me the chance of a lifetime and assigned me to someone I had never heard of, Heidelise Als, for research supervision.  The next four years were an intense mix of up and down experiences, dead end and successful work, friendships, and opportunities - as research and dissertation writing tend to be.

I like to think of Berry Brazelton as a regular human being, foibles and all, with a spectacular gift.  The first time I saw him examine a baby it bowled me over – and I never again saw one or handled one the way I had before.  Babies brought out an infectious joy in him.  When parents were present he of course talked about strengths and abilities to communicate.  But if he was at a loss for words right away, he held the baby up and said with admiration and a huge smile, “Now, there’s a baby!”  The parents beamed. The Friday afternoon seminar often hosted an outside guest presenting his/her research.  Many wanted an invitation.  When the presentation ended Dr. Brazelton was always the first to comment and if the work had merit he would jump right into a discussion.  If he didn’t think much of it he would begin with “Fascinating. [pause, pause]”   Oh, dear. Many stories of him and that time come to mind but here is the last for now.  My clever younger daughter was jealous of the long hours I spent in the lab.  Once she found a large Brazil nut and twisted thin, blue telephone wire into a tiny pair of glasses.  She stood the nut on end and balanced the glasses high on the main ridge.  She named it “Brazelnut” and put it on a ledge in the kitchen where it stayed for many years. - Kathleen Philbin, RN, PhD   

He was such a wonderful person and made a lasting impression on so many people. - Beth McManus, Associate Professor, Colorado School of Public Health

On behalf of the whole Barcelona NBAS-Training Site team, we would like to express our sadness at the loss of the great person and great professor that has been Thomas Berry Brazelton. His legacy has influenced many colleagues and professionals working in the field of early childhood. - Carme Costas-Moragas. Master Trainer; NBAS-Training Site,Catalonia (Spain)

Le Dr. T.B. Brazelton vient de mourir mardi 13 mars 2018 au terme d’une très longue carrière de pédiatre au service des nourrissons et des jeunes enfants. Mondialement reconnu, ses travaux défendaient une pédiatrie humaniste au service des bébés et de leurs familles  dans la lignée d’un autre grand pédiatre américain des années 50, le Dr. Benjamin Spock. Personnage charismatique, médiatique et scientifique, il a occupé pendant près de 50 ans la chaire de pédiatrie à l’hôpital pour enfants de l’Université de Harvard à Boston et il a fondé un célèbre institut de formation et de recherches – le Brazelton’s Center- où sont passés tous les plus grands spécialistes de la périnatalité de ces 50 dernières années.

Après une psychanalyse personnelle, il a développé des recherches sur les capacités interactives des nourrissons dans le laboratoire de Jérôme Bruner, pionnier de la psychologie périnatale. Il a mis au point dès 1973, une échelle d’évaluation des comportement des nouveau-nés, outil d’observation plusieurs fois remanié et republié (1984-1995-2001 pour la traduction française) qui ouvre une fenêtre sur les premiers comportements des bébés dès  le séjour en maternité. En montrant aux jeunes parents comment s’ajuster au tempérament de leur nouveau-né, il favorise une démarche de prévention des éventuels dysfonctionnements des relations précoces . « Don’t blame the victim » avait-il coutume de dire – ne jetez pas la pierre aux parents- pour insister sur la part propre du bébé dans la construction des premiers liens et mieux soutenir les difficultés que posent les nourrissons pour les parents isolés et démunis de nos sociétés contemporaines. Il avait aussi mis au point un « calendrier de développement » des enfants de 0 à 6 ans : les Points-forts, destinés à anticiper les nécessaires remaniements de la parentalité devant les avancées du développement. Par exemple, un enfant sur le point d’apprendre à marcher à la fin de la première année peut manifester son excitation et sa frustration de ne pas encore y arriver par un retour passager aux troubles du sommeil du nourrisson.

Mais Berry Brazelton n’étais pas seulement le pédiatre d’émissions populaires de la télévision ou l’invité habituel de la Maison Blanche sous les Clinton, il s’intéressait à tous les enfants et animait des groupes de paroles réguliers dans les quartiers les plus déshéritées des grandes villes américaines. Sous l’influence de l’anthropologue Margaret Mead dont il était l’ami, il avait mené de larges études comparatives entre  les populations blanches et favorisées de la côté Est et les enfants du Guatemala, du Mexique, mais aussi du Ghana, du Kenya et de plusieurs pays asiatiques démontrant les forces de vitalité des nouveau-nés. Il insistait sur l’influence réciproque de la biologie, de la culture et des représentations des parents, anticipant ainsi sur les études actuelles sur l’épigénèse.

Enfin avec son équipe et notamment Heidelise Als, il a été pionnier en matière de soins aux prématurés avec le programme du NICAP (neonatal individualized developmental care and assesment program)  consistant à humaniser les soins auprès de ces enfants si vulnérables .
Son travail concerne tous les acteurs destinés à soutenir les premiers temps de la vie et au-delà : pédiatres, psychologues, puéricultrices, sages-femmes ou psychomotricien(ne)s. C’est grâce à Laurence Pernoud  que nous avons eu en France accès à ses livres devenus des best-sellers : Trois bébés dans leur famille, Famille en crise ou Les Points-forts, ouvrages qui resteront des modèles pour une approche sensible et adaptée aux besoins de chaque enfant et de leur famille et à leur éducation. - Drina Candilis-Huisman, NBAS Trainer, Paris

How do I even find the right words to honor Dr. Berry Brazelton? His smile lit up a room. His warmth radiated across our fellowship classroom. His compassion permeated to remind us all that we were there to help, never judge, parents who are faced with the challenges of raising infants—be that the routine highs and lows of parenting heathy infants, to the more profound ache and worry carried by families with premature infants. The New York Times says Berry made babies the center of his universe. I would say his center was the Family. And when Berry visited our Parent-Infant Mental Health Fellowship sessions in 2011-2013, always delivered with great care, adoration, and deep reverence by Ed Tronick, his presence was a gift beyond measure. To have learned from Berry was to be both enlightened and impassioned. To have known Berry was one of the greatest honors of my life. Pictured below is a nervous me, presenting my final project focused on how to bridge the gap between the NICU and Home for families, with Berry front and center. His feedback was kind, thoughtful, complimentary. In our short Q&A discussion, he went right to the heart of why this matters and how to get it done. His wheels immediately turned and he transported my ideas out of power point and planted them squarely into a doable hospital program. That’s when I knew my basic developmental science truly had a home in pediatrics. Berry’s mind moved swiftly from the intellectual to the pragmatic; from ideas to action. And today, my heart is broken. The world will not soon see a scholar, physician, or human being with as much infectious care of others as Berry. I think those are the right words—Berry Brazelton’s care for others was as infectious as his beautiful, warm smile. He leaves behind a legacy of scholars, physicians, and clinicians who have learned to make families with babies the center of their universe and to do so “from the start”. I could never thank him enough for teaching me that I not only have permission to call early caregiving my science—my science demands his level of care. - Amie A. Hane, Ph.D. Associate Professor; Department of Psychology; Williams College ,Williamstown, MA    

It is with heavy heart that I share with you sad news: Our teacher and mentor, T. Berry Brazelton, who influenced all of us and our work in such substantial ways, has passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Barnstable (Cape Cod, MA) on Monday, 12 March 2018, just two months shy of his 100th birthday. Berry, as he was known to his friends, was the Originator of the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale and of the Brazelton Touchpoints Center both of which are in use world-wide; he was the Founder of the first Developmental Pediatrics Fellowship Program in the US and of the Child Development Unit at Boston Children’s Hospital.The world has lost a true champion for children and families. Obituaries have appeared in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and the Washington Post among others. The all-day symposium and evening celebration in honor of Berry’s 100th birthday, that had been planned for Monday, 23 April 2018, will go forward. On the Touchpoints Facebook page, (https://www.facebook.com/BrazeltonTouchpointsCenter) professionals and friends from all over the world are posting tributes, stories, and memories of Dr. Brazelton and seeking comfort in sharing them with each other.Berry’s death is very personal to me; he was my most cherished and influential mentor and friend; I had the good fortune and rare opportunity to work closely with him for over 10 years from 1973, the inception of his fellowship program and the beginnings of the child development research program at the Child Development Unit, at Boston Children’s Hospital until 1984. Berry shaped my thinking, my work and my personal and professional development. He had a major impact on me as I raised my son, a young child with disabilities.Berry was a true friend, role model and inspirational force for all my efforts. He defended undauntedly the competence of each newborn, each infant and each parent, of all human beings; he valued and brought out the strengths and talents in everyone, everyone’s true goal for good. He taught us that at times it shows itself in unusual, distorted and easily misunderstood ways. Yet recognizing and articulating the underlying desire for good allows it to emerge. Berry made it all our challenge to find the strengths in ourselves and in others and to ally ourselves with that strength in order to help build our joint better futures from there.May his passing reaffirm you all in your chosen paths for bettering the lives of the smallest, often sickest, and most vulnerable newborns and their families in this world. - Heidelise Als, PhD ,Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry; Harvard Medical School
 

Words cannot express my sense of loss.  I worked with and learned from Berry for 24 years.  In a short video for ZERO TO THREE’s 40th Anniversary this past December (https://vimeo.com/259976644) Berry taped a special message, included at the end, where he invited all of us to celebrate his birthday with him this April.  We will now celebrate his life and all that he has meant to us as a leader, pediatrician, advocate, mentor and friend. - Matthew E. Melmed, Executive Director, Zero to Three

It is with deep regret that I share with you news of the death of our esteemed colleague T. Berry Brazelton. Dr. Brazelton, clinical professor of pediatrics, emeritus, at HMS and Boston Children’s Hospital, died on March 13, at the age of 99.  We honor Dr. Brazelton’s life by lowering the HMS flag to half-staff today. - George Q. Daley, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Harvard University

He was so very positive, supportive, inspirational, involved and overall, a fantastic scientist, researcher and human being!  I’ve met him only this one single time and I just now realize how lucky I am that I had the chance to see him at all – but his work has been and will be a lifelong inspiration for me. I still show the old NBAS teaching tape, because of him, his charismatic personality is unmatched. He changed how we see and understand newborn babies. Every now and then a student asks why I show such old tapes and research to them… but after they had seen him, they never forget Berry Brazelton. - Emese Nagy, M.D., Ph.D.University of Dundee, Scotland, UK

He had such a profound influence on so many of us.  Personally, I first learned from his work as a parent (and was helped by his perspectives in some really significant ways) and then benefitted hugely from it as a clinician with a speciality in early childhood.   He will be much missed I know, but his wonderful contributions will live on in many of us - through his books, through his work, and through his impact on the field. - Deborah Hirschland