“A big thank you to Brazelton Centre UK for granting me a bursary to train in the Newborn Behavioural Observations (NBO). Being granted a funded place was a God sent opportunity to do this valuable course, which otherwise may not have been possible.

I find the NBO a very special tool especially in the NICU strengthening the bond between mothers and their little ones. Having trained in structured neurodevelopmental assessments in UK, I was used to scores and labelling a baby to have a normal or abnormal examination. The NBO course taught me that there is much more beyond scores- it proved to be comforting for a mother who was stressed out and only seeing her baby for a few hours with restricted visiting policy in light of COVID. She was smiling seeing her baby follow faces and voices and seeing how strong her baby’s arms and legs are etc.

A mother told me during the session that she could never get her baby to do all the things that the baby did for me. I had to reiterate that this was not the case, rather the baby would respond and discriminate her voice from mine and others and respond to her the most.

I think NBO is the most wonderful way to demonstrate newborns’ amazing abilities with parents. Being trained in the NBO adds value to my true calling – following up high risk neonates. Thank you Brazelton Centre, UK for this wonderful opportunity. I will strongly recommend it to everyone who wants to see babies communicating.”