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The Brazelton Centre is based at the Rosie Hospital. Staff trained in the Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (NBAS) can help parents understand their baby's communication signals by observing their behaviour.  The NBAS is suitable for any baby who has reached 36 weeks and is medically stable.

 

All babies have their own ways to communicate. Babies can tell us how much help they need from us to comfort them, stay calm, settle and stay asleep, or stay awake and alert. They may need support to develop strategies to help comfort themselves when they cry, or help them to stay in a relaxed state. The strategies might include sucking their fingers or hand, changing position, looking at something.  We may need to help them by calm holding, speaking softly to them or wrapping them lightly with their hands near their face.

 

 

Babies have many behavioural cues which say they might need a break from stimulation or need calming such as:

• fussing, crying
• sneezing
• yawning
• hiccupping
• gagging, spitting up
• changing colour
• frowns and grimaces
• holding their arms up, splaying fingers
• shutting their eyes, turning away

 

 

Other behavioural cues tell you when your baby is ready to interact, play, feed:

• opening their eyes
• looking around and trying to focus
• having relaxed arms and legs
• having a pink colour
• relaxed breathing

 

 

If you would like to talk to someone about your baby's cues when he/she is in the NICU, or see an NBAS with your baby when he/she is in SCBU or Sara Ward, please ask a member of staff who can contact Joanna Hawthorne or a specially trained nurse to meet with you. Other parents who have seen the NBAS with their baby tell us that they find it very interesting and helpful.

 

(*Training courses in the NBAS are available for all health professionals and those who work with babies from birth to 8 weeks old).