Dr. T. Berry Brazelton has long been helping children and parents navigate the early years. For years, pediatrician Dr. T. Berry Brazelton has calmed nervous parents by sharing his insights and wisdom in a series of best-selling books about childhood health.
Now, Dr. Brazelton and his colleague Dr. Joshua Sparrow are making themselves available to answer questions directly from Well blog readers. Whether your question is about sleep problems, discipline or healthful eating habits, the authors of the “Touchpoints” series of books and other excellent guides for children’s health are ready to provide you answers.
Dr. Brazelton, a professor of pediatrics emeritus at Harvard Medical School, developed the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, an evaluation tool used worldwide to assess not only the physical and neurological responses of newborns, but also their emotional well-being and individual differences. However, he may be best known by parents for his “Touchpoints” books, which recognize that children develop their skills in many different areas at the same time. The books teach parents that when children show a sudden burst in one area of development, they often “regress,” or backslide, in another area. He calls these bursts of development and regression “touchpoints” and believes that a better understanding of these developmental milestones can give parents valuable insights into the health and well-being of their children.
Dr. Joshua Sparrow is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and supervisor for outpatient psychiatry services at Children’s Hospital, Boston. Co-author with Dr. T. Berry Brazelton of eight books, he most
recently collaborated with Dr. Brazelton on the revised edition of the original “Touchpoints: Birth to Three.’’
Please submit your questions in the comment section below. Depending on the number of questions submitted, Dr. Brazelton and Dr. Sparrow may not be able to answer all of them. Answers will be published on the Well blog beginning September 15 in conjunction with a special Well report on childhood health.
Healthy living doesn't happen at the doctor's office. The road to better health is paved with the small decisions we make every day. It's about the choices we make when we buy groceries, drive our cars and hang out with our kids. Join columnist Tara Parker-Pope as she sifts through medical research and expert opinions for practical advice to help readers take control of their health and live well every day. You can reach Ms. Parker-Pope at 
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What are your feelings about raising children with a restricted diet? Vegan, vegetarian, “flexitarian” parents abound. What advice can you give to these parents?
— MaryWhy is it not so that asthma and other inflammatory illnesses of the body are not connected with the food we eat.
— kerstin hallertToday´s diet model rich in carbohydrates and poor in fat has very much on its conscience but serves the food industry as well as the industries producing various medicines very well. People get sicker and fatter.
My children are free from asthma from a change of diet limiting carbohydrates to the extreme and instead giving them animal fat with the proteins.
Meaning butter, cream, full fat cheese, eggs
fat fish fat meat, no fresh fruit (sugars) no
vegetables having grown below the earth (sugars)
no bread and no pasta of course.
Result within a few weeks. Entire family in brilliant health and inflammations in the body gone. Including asthma.
Can doctors think at all?
Is there an approach my husband and I can employ to assess the emotional and social development of the 11-year-old Chinese boy we are adopting? What should we look for? He is pleasant boy, eager to please who has lost two parental figures in his short lifetime.
— SophiaDear Dr. Brazelton and Sparrow,
— Jackie GordonWe have a very bright, active and affectionate three-and-a-half year old boy, who is wonderful in every way.
My question concerns the use of a pacifier. Our child still sleeps with one, and occasionally (rarely) asks for it ‘to calm down’. It is something he uses only at home.
The dilemma is that our pediatrician, who is a wonderful child advocate, says it is fine and that we should let him give it up when he is ready. My dentist (who has not yet examined the child), however, says in no uncertain terms that will deform his palate and we should take it away.
We’ve decided not to nag him about it, but think we should make a decision about it soon. I myself sucked my thumb until I started school.
Many thanks for any comment you might have.
Sincerely, Jackie
I hear from my friends who have older children that girls are starting to menstruate a lot earlier than when I was growing up - as young as 10 in some cases.
Is this true generally, and if so, why?
Thanks!
— MommyprofDoes Kerstin’s family suffer from chronic constipation? Why does she think fresh fruit (mostly water and fiber) is worse than dried fruit (mostly fiber and sugar) or canned fruit (mostly water and sugar)? And is she aware, being so brilliant and informed, that a diet so poor in fruits, vegetables, and grains is a historical anomaly?
Or has she drunk the Weston A Price Kool Aid?
— burntnortonConsidering the following information do you think the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that all infants sleep on their backs for the first year of life is safe?
This is a quote from a letter in Pediatrics by Dr. Rafael Pelayo, et al.
“Because slow-wave sleep is considered the most restorative form of sleep and is believed to have a significant role in neurocognitive processes and learning, as well as in growth, what might be the neurodevelopmental consequences of chronically reducing deep sleep in the first critical 12 months of life?”(1)
This a quote from a reply letter to Dr. Pelayo in Pediatrics by Dr. John Kattwinkel, et al.
‘MECHANISM OF SIDS AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO SLEEP
The most current information regarding the etiology of SIDS indicates that, at least for some of these deaths, there is a developmental abnormality in the serotonergic network in the brainstem, which results in the failure to arouse or respond to life-threatening stressors such as asphyxia and hypercapnia when asleep… Although supine sleepers are more likely to attain certain gross motor milestones later than prone sleepers, this delay is within normal limits and is no longer apparent at 1 year of age. In addition, these differences in motor development are not apparent when awake “tummy time” is used.”(2)
However, the fact that there is no statistical difference between the skills of the population of supine sleepers and the general population after 1 year of age does NOT mean that the individual child who misses out on the REM and NREM sleep cycles for that first year “catches up” to where s/he would have been, given the sleep consolidation and enhancement of those practiced skills. They would not. In addition, it is unclear to me that ONLY the gross motor skills of infants are at stake. The research I have read on language acquisition indicates that the learning of abstract concepts is predicated upon mastery of certain basic, gross-motor-skills-related concepts, upon which the more abstract concepts are built. So, if you slow motor-skills development, you may also be slowing cognitive language skills development, which is a depressing thought for the vast majority of kids, who do not have the genetic defect, and are not at risk in the first place. (3)
Sources:
(1)Bed Sharing With Unimpaired Parents Is Not an Important Risk for Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome: To the Editor
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2005-2748
Pediatrics 2006;117;993-994
Rafael Pelayo, Judith Owens, Jodi Mindell and Stephen Sheldon
Infant Death Syndrome: To the Editor
(2) The Reply letter:
Pediatrics 2006;117;994-996
John Kattwinkel, Fern R. Hauck, Rachel Y. Moon, Michael Malloy and Marian Wallinger
Bed Sharing With Unimpaired Parents Is Not an Important Risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: In Reply
(3) From personal correspondence with a child educator.
— TomPlease help. I am trying to find information on the causes of my grand child’s low birth weight. She was full term and weighed 4 pound 7 ounces.I am comcerned about the consequences on her growth and development.
— sarah visiShould my daughter be concerned about the outcome of future pregnancies?
Thank you.
First, thank you so much for your great help in raising my son. That was a while ago.
My 23-week preemie grandson was born Feb 3. He came home from the hospital in mid-May a week or two before his due date. Aside from chronic lungs, all is normal. I am noticing development that is outside all the charts. When he came home from ICU he was already able to hold up his had and maintain compact stance. This weekend I sensed a tad of stranger anxiety. Social, physical skills and vocalizations are blooming. Is there any resource available for information on psycho-motor, social development, etc. of extreme preemies?
— Barbara MoriartyHello Dr. Brazelton,
— RunningI am an educator and I’m currently working with a kindergartner with what could best be described as extreme ADHD. She is currently on Ritalin which has allowed her to increase her attention span. However, it seems the medication makes her moody, tired, and melancholy. Ritalin also seems to greatly alter her personality. She seems almost depressed when she is on the drug. My question is are there any interventions that would be helpful in such a case? Her parents seem receptive to advice and would really love to help this little girl. Thanks.
Thank you for your advice, Drs. Brazelton and Sparrow. My question is: how concerned should I be that my very-imaginative 3-year-old son insists he’s a girl? I want him to express himself however he’s most comfortable, but I also want him not to be teased by other kids. It seems that even in pre-school, the kids in his class already seem to have very rigid ideas about gender identification and I’m not sure how to approach (or whether to approach) this with my son. Thank you!
— AndreaI’M SMOKING REGULAR AND i want to quit the smoke .Pls tell me the idia how to quit the smoke?
— wangyalDr Dr. Brazelton,
My son Sean, who will be 18 tomorrow, had ear tubes put in at 7 months, and had continued ear infections all through grade school. To this day, he still experiences pain when flying, especially when decending. We recently visited an ENT who said there was nothing that could be done, and thought it was “allergies”. I would like your opinion on this, as Sean now does not want to fly due to the pressure and pain. After the plane lands, he hears “like he’s underwater” for 24-48 hours. Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.
And thanks for everything, when my children were growing up!
— Gloria GosseGloria Gosse
In response to Jackie, #4. I had a pacifier for the same reasons as your son (more as a different type of security blanket) until I was almost 9 years old. My teeth and palate are perfectly fine, and I have no problems with speaking. Often, people ask if I’ve had braces when I have not!
— KateWhat are your thoughts on preschool? Are very young children better off constantly interacting with a dedicated adult parent to stimulate their brain growth, or is there a benefit to socializing them with their peers at an early age? What’s the optimum balance of this for raising an intelligent yet independent and socially adept child?
— KatieMy 9 year old son suffers very much from anxiety. He hates to separate from me, whether it’s to go to school or to sports, and has a difficult time transitioning, even if it’s switching to something that he wants to do, like go to a movie or play mini-golf. This behavior started when he was 3, and despite making slow progress over the years, he seems to be going backwards now. I have him in counseling, and his school teacher is also supportive.
My question is: how much should we push him to do the things he has to do (school assignments, field trips) and the things that we know he would enjoy if he could overcome his anxiety (soccer team, sleepovers). The counselor and my husband think we should push. The teacher and I think we should dial it back. I’m really at a loss, but I know it’s important that we be consistent one way or the other. I would appreciate your take on dealing with kids with anxiety.
— IolantheHow much sleep does an 18 month old really need? My son sleeps 10 hours at night (waking several times) and takes a 1 hour nap during the day— well below what the books (and common sense!) say he needs. However, he seems rested and energetic and is developing normally. What do you think?
— AmberAre you going to publish any books on older children. I have a 7 year old in 2nd grade and he is harder to displine than my 12 year old daughter.
— Karen BWhy do some young children get higher fevers than others, whether in response to illness or immunizations? Although he seems quite healthy overall, our toddler gets much higher fevers—and more often—than his older sister ever has. Are there any long-term health effects or other significance to attach to these fevers?
— MicheleDear Dr. Brazelton: Thank you for your book that taught me how to guide my kids through potty-”training.” Your advice was very helpful!
I would like to hear your thoughts on how to raise a child to have a strong sense of self-esteem.
Thank you!
— JillThough my 7 year old son is bright and outgoing he is very reluctant to try a new skill. He will wait until he is certain that he can master it right away. As an infant, he refused to roll over. He was evaluated and placed in Occupational Therapy, where we were told he “didn’t want to roll over”. His school sent him to a reading specialist in school in 1st grade. It was a struggle to get him to try to read, but he suddenly developed the skill and is able to read at or above grade level. This reluctance to try a new skill bleeds over into all aspects of his life - swimming, bike riding, etc… Do you have a suggestion for helping him (and me) cope?
— JulieThank you,
-Julie
How do you tell the difference between autism and brain damage from a very high fever?
In the 1960’s, the toddler son of a family friend was developing normally, until he caught cat scratch fever and was hospitalized for a week, as MD’s did everything they could think to bring his extremely high fever down. He regressed, losing speech, social skills, and cognitive function, and was formally diagnosed with autism a few years later.
I’ve noticed that in the contemporary stories of parents who claim that vaccines caused their child’s autism, the parents always describe the child running a high fever, and then never being the same again.
Thank you!
— AmyDo you have any advice on how to keep our 2 1/2 year old daughter in bed. Two weeks ago she climbed out of her crib, and never looked back. However, I don’t feel that she is developmentally ready to stay in bed. Currently we are patting her back until she falls asleep, but this goes against all the parenting I’ve done with my other kids. I would like her to rest and sleep in her own bed, by herself.
Thanks!
— JuliarWhat kinds of methods, professionals, or observations are best at discriminating if my 45mo son “only” has a sensory processing disorder or if he also has autism/Asperger’s? The OT professional who evaluated him think that it’s an SPD that is getting in the way of his socializing. He loves to be around other kids, requests it, happily ran from me to play at preschool today. He also is not routine rigid and deals just fine with changes, but does have “low frustration tolerance” and poor emotional regulation. He’s bright, he’s starting to read, shows lots of curiosity about the world, while also being highly interested in vehicles as his preferred interest and toys. Not the biggest conversationalist, but does word play, makes jokes, rhymes.
— PsychMomWhat would an ASD label change in his treatment for his SPD?
Thank you.
Could you please address the epidemic of severe food allergies among our nation’s children? My son has a peanut/tree nut allergy, even though we have no family history of this. He was exclusively breastfed as a baby, and not exposed to nuts until 3 years of age.
It is my unsubstantiated observation that the children of well-educated and/or affluent parents are far more frequently affected by severe food allergies. It seems that most of the people I know who have post-graduate degrees have a child with a severe food allergy. Has this been researched? And I also have observed that many children with severe food allergies are particularly intense/spirited in their personalities.
Of course, these are anecdotal observations, but I would like to see more research done to find out what the “risk factors” seem to be for food allergies.
— Amber