Constance H. Keefer

The Newborn Behavioral Observations System er en observasjons- og relasjonsbyggende metode til bruk for helsepersonell som arbeider med spedbarn. Målet er nettopp å fremme tilknytningen og hjelpe foreldre i en kritisk overgangsfase i livet. Metoden gjør helsepersonell i stand til å dele med foreldrene observasjoner som de gjør av spedbarnet, og hjelper foreldrene til å bli mer oppmerksomme på sitt eget barns kompetanse og egenart.«La oss se hva som skjer når du snakker til henne, eller bare bøyer deg frem og viser det gode ansiktet ditt" er et eksempel på en veiledende formulering som hjelper foreldre til å bli mer oppmerksomme. Når barnet får god nok støtte, vil vi ofte oppleve at den nyfødte ser på mamma eller pappa, eller snur seg etter stemmen deres. Dette er magiske øyeblikk for nybakte foreldre.

Giving babies a "voice" helps parents understand their baby's unique strengths and needs. This observational tool and handbook, complete with beautiful four-color photographs by a Pulitzer prize-winning photographer, gives professionals a systematic way to help parents respond with confidence to their baby's individual needs—and build positive parent–professional relationships in the process. Flexible, easy to integrate into everyday practice, and based on more than 25 years of research, this system includesA short, easy-to-use, interactive observational tool. With the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system, professionals will have a structured set of 18 observations for infants from birth to approximately 3 months. Including parents as partners, professionals guide the observation, discuss the baby's abilities and behaviors with parents, encourage parent insights and questions, and suggest specific ways to support the child's development. (Appropriate use of the NBO tool in clinical practice requires training through the NBO training program.)A complete guide to the NBO system. Through realistic case studies, step-by-step how-to instructions, and color photos illustrating each NBO item, professionals will understand how to use the NBO effectively with a wide variety of families. Invaluable professional guidance. More than a tool, the handbook helps professionals improve their daily work with in-depth information on infant and parent development, cultural competence, premature and at-risk infants, family–centered care, and more. An essential resource from the co-author of the highly regarded Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) and his colleagues, this system is just what clinicians in hospital, clinic, or home settings need to help new mothers and fathers get to know their baby, increase their confidence and competence as parents, and support their child's growth and development.

Child Care and Culture examines parenthood, infancy, and early childhood in an African community, revealing patterns unanticipated by current theories of child development and raising provocative questions about ‘normal’ child care in the human species. Comparing the Gusii people of Kenya, whose practices were intensively observed from the combined perspectives of social anthropology, pediatrics, and developmental psychology, with the American white middle class, the authors show how divergent cultural priorities create differing conditions for early childhood development.