Dr. T. Berry Brazelton was recently honored by President Obama with the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal. While the youngest pediatricians may not know Dr. Brazelton’s name, we all live with benefits from his ongoing lifetime of work increasing knowledge about young children.
Dr. Brazelton arranged his own unique training in pediatrics, psychiatry, and psychology. As one of his Fellows, I experienced his depth of understanding every day, but only learned years later that he also had analytic training. He observed the amazing capabilities of newborn infants and their impact on their parents at a time when even their ability to see and hear was not generally known. As an intern, seeing his film of a newborn turning to look into his eyes, which he has seen so many times he has to leave the room when it is shown, moved my career into developmental behavioral pediatrics. From these observations he developed the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale, bringing science to the study of infant interaction and earning respect for child psychological factors in medical care that ultimately changed policies ranging from NICU noise control to parental leave – a benefit readers may have experienced personally.
Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy
President Barack Obama presents the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal to Dr. T. Berry Brazelton during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 15, 2013.
Dr. Brazelton provided leadership to several organizations at key times, ensuring their success, from the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (SDBP), to the National Center for Clinical Infant Programs and Zero to Three.
As clinical professor at Harvard Medical School, he founded the Child Development Unit, a multidisciplinary training program for pediatric fellows, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and a range of short- as well as long-term learners of other disciplines, who subsequently have spread his attitudes about the value of the early years as leaders in departments of pediatrics, foundations, the American Academy of Pediatrics, SDBP, Zero to Three, etc. It was a wonderful place to be a Fellow, as the world’s experts on early childhood visited and we all sat as equals discussing the newest discoveries. The Brazelton Institute now teaches internationally.
Dr. Barbara J. Howard
Dr. Brazelton has a sonorous voice, a toothy smile crinkling his entire face, sparkling eyes, and expressive hands that come together to convey his joy in life and all its children in an unforgettable fashion. He was almost a Broadway star, but chose to bring his dramatic flair to inspire parents and learners. He showed his Fellows that being down to earth and having fun while teaching make it more effective. His cable TV series "What Every Baby Knows" supported an entire generation of parents in understanding their children as individuals and honoring their role. I saw mothers, who had relied on his wisdom from the show, hearing his voice in person come to tears. The Brazelton Touchpoints Center now supports families in 100 communities to ensure that all children "grow up to become adults who can cope with adversity, strengthen their communities, engage as active participants in civic life, steward our fragile planet’s limited resources, and nurture the next generation to be prepared to do the same." Without your knowing it, Dr. Brazelton may have already done that for you.
Dr. Howard is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and creator of CHADIS (www.CHADIS.com). E-mail Dr. Howard at pdnews@frontlinemedcom.com.