Dr. J. Kevin Nugent is a globally esteemed developmental psychologist and a pioneering figure in infant mental health. Over the course of his career spanning over four decades, he has profoundly influenced our understanding of newborn behavior and the critical importance of early parent-infant relationships.
As the Founder and Director Emeritus of the Brazelton Institute at Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Nugent has been instrumental in advancing research and clinical practices that support the emotional and developmental well-being of infants and their families. He also serves as a Lecturer in Psychology at Harvard Medical School and is Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Dr. Nugent and his colleagues, Drs. Constance Keefer, Susan Minear, Lise Johnson and Yvette Blanchard, developed the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system, which is being used in clinical settings across the world. He has authored books and scientific articles on newborn behavior and parent-child relationships and He is also the author of Your Baby is Speaking to You, the highly acclaimed, top-ten bestselling book for parents.
Dr. Nugent co-authored the seminal Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) with the late Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, a tool that revolutionized the way clinicians assess and understand newborn behavior. Building upon this work, he led the development of the Newborn Behavioral Observations (NBO) system, a relationship-based tool designed to enhance parent-infant interactions and support early development.
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Dr. Kevin Nugent 