Neonatal Behavioural Observation for your baby (NBO)

The Neonatal Behavioural Observation (NBO) is an exciting opportunity offered to some parents which allows you to explore your baby’s individual behaviour alongside your health visitor. It helps parents to interpret their baby’s behaviour and gives you the opportunity to consider how your baby is communicating with you. The NBO can be used with babies between 0-3months of age. All of our Health Visitors and Public Health Staff nurses received specialist training from the Brazelton Centre UK throughout 2022 meaning we are really luck to be able to offer NBO when it could help.

The NBO is not a test, and your baby can not pass or fail. The practitioner will give you tips and ideas which may support your baby’s development. Each session is individual to your baby and you but can include exploring:

• Different behavioural states your baby might show you
• Sleep and your baby
• Your baby’s responses to faces and voices
• Your baby’s responses to sound and light when sleeping
• Strategies to understand and support crying and soothing
• Activity and reflexes that can support your baby

Many practitioners will cover aspects of the NBO within your routine contacts or you may be offered the opportunity to complete an NBO together. It will provide a time where we can think together about your baby to support your relationship through communication and positive interactions.

You can find more information regarding NBO and your baby’s language at: Parents – Brazelton Centre UK

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