development of the ability to keep things in mind
even when they are not observable may be related to
the emergence of infants’ objection to separation
from the caregiver that often occurs around age seven
to nine months. Thus, areas of the cortex that appear
to develop late may be functioning in simpler ways
earlier in life rather than remaining completely ‘‘si-
lent.’’
Summary and Conclusions
Initially the young brain contains more compo-
nents and connections than it will in adulthood, and
the inputs it receives shape the elimination of this sur-
plus. This provides a way in which individuals can de-
velop in similar ways even if the plan of development
is not encoded specifically in the human genome. Dif-
ferent areas of the brain develop at different times,
and this is related to the development of their behav-
ioral functions. The infant plays an active role in her
own brain development by selectively attending to
stimuli, such as faces and speech, that are important
for subsequent development.
See also: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
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Mark H. Johnson
Michelle de HaanBRAZELTON, T. BERRY (1918–)
Born in Waco, Texas, T. Berry Brazelton is among the
most prominent and trusted pediatricians of the
twentieth century. Following his graduation from Co-
lumbia University’s College of Physicians and Sur-
geons in 1943, Brazelton trained in pediatrics, with
five additional years of training in child psychiatry.
After extensive study in the paradigm of pathological
development, Brazelton completed a fellowship with
experimental psychologist Jerome Bruner to learn
about the healthy stages of child development.
With this diverse training, Brazelton was able to
narrow and refine his views of the importance of cre-
ating strong family support and encouraging the in-
dividuality of every child. The belief that an infant’s
behavior provides clues for parents that can strength-
en the bond between child and parent can be seen
throughout much of Brazelton’s work. This approach
of viewing families as cohesive units and promoting
positive self images for children at all developmental
stages is among the many reasons for his success as a
pediatrician.
Brazelton is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and Professor of
Psychiatry and Human Development at Brown Uni-
versity. He is also active in many national organiza-
tions. Brazelton is a past president of the Society for
Research in Child Development (1987–1989) and the
National Center for Clinical Infant Programs (1988–
1991). At Children’s Hospital in Boston, he is founder
and codirector of the Touchpoints Center, as well as
the Brazelton Institute, both of which further his phi-
losophy and commitment to children and families. It
was at Children’s Hospital in the early 1970s that Bra-
zelton developed the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral
Assessment Scale (BNAS), an evaluation tool to assess
physical and neurological responses of newborns as
well as emotional well-being and individual differ-
ences. In addition, as cofounder of a grassroots advo-
cacy group for parents, Parent Action, he has made
several appearances before the United States Con-
gress to speak on behalf of underprivileged families
and children.
Brazelton’s name and face are familiar in many
households as a contributing editor to Family Circle
magazine, as a syndicated newspaper columnist to the
New York Times, as a guest on National Public Radio,68 BRAZELTON, T. BERRY