What Every Baby Knows [Paperback]

T. Berry Brazelton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 12, 1988

T. Berry Brazelton, America's most highly regarded and deeply valued pediatrician, is a national treasure. Millions of parents and physicians have used and praised his groundbreaking books on infancy, parenthood, and early childhood. What Every Baby Knows is without question Brazelton's most exciting and valuable book.

In What Every Baby Knows, Dr. Brazelton takes five families and really opens the doors of their private lives. In the course of the family histories and in the follow-up visits that Brazelton pays to each family two years later, we come to know these parents and children as individuals -- their stubborn worries, their struggles to adapt to change, their successes at resolving problems. These family histories serve as the framework for Brazelton's illuminating discussions of such crucial family issues as:
--sibling rivalry
-- divorced parents
-- prematurity
-- colic
-- encouraging independence
-- late speech development, and more

What Every Baby Knows offers every reader answers to their questions about the real, day-to-day issues that his or her own family faces. The problems Brazelton identifies in the lives of his five families are the universal problems of family life. And the resolutions he describes are as reassuring as they are workable in all family situations. What Every Baby Knows will help all families share the rewards and happiness of life together.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, chief of the Child Development Unit at Boston Children's Hospital, Brazelton is the author of several parental guides (Infants and Mothers, etc.); his frequent TV appearances have made him popular as an adviser on child care. Here he recounts his counseling sessions with five couples and their small children, families that differ widely in economic and social backgrounds. Problems concerned with the traditionally overlooked middle child, of a timid little boy distressed by his parents' divorce, of slow-developing and premature babies are among those covered in the case histories. Brazelton's questions to the parents and their replies suggest ways for the reader to handle like issues. First serial to Family Circle; Literary Guild alternate; author tour.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This book by one of the nation's best-known pediatricians is based on his Lifetime cable TV series. Brazelton believes that "every baby knows . . . and will show a sensitive parent when things are off balance." He advises parents to watch and listen to their children thoughtfully to resolve normal family crises. He follows the lives of five families and uncovers the deeper issues behind their conflicts (sibling rivalry, divorce). His tone, as in his previous books, such as Infants and Mothers , is reassuring and optimistic. Essential for public and academic libraries with an interest in child development or family counseling. Barbara Carroll, M.L.S., Eau Claire, Wis.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reissue edition (August 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345344553
• ISBN-13: 978-0345344557
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #668,703 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Common sense information and advice, December 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: What Every Baby Knows (Paperback)

Dr. Brazelton has a loving, common sense approach to infant development. He offers constructive advice and reassurance to new parents. This book is extremely helpful to first time mothers.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If I were to recommend one book on parenting, March 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: What Every Baby Knows (Paperback)

this is the one. Dr. Brazleton difers from most self-proclaimed baby and parenting "experts" in several respects. Firstly, he not only advocates that parenting each child is unique and needs to be individualized, he encourages that this philosophy be put in practice. In contrast to, as an example, the Sears, who state that the methods they proscribe are the only good and valid methods and that anything else is tantamount to abuse or neglect, Dr. Brazleton actually encourages that parents develop a relationship with their children based on the rhythms and nature of the child. The nature of the parent is not brushed aside but, instead, is recognized as an equal part of the whole relationship with the child. Secondly, Dr. Brazleton's professional reputation and expertise are exemplary and encompass a vast amount of direct contact with children and parents, clinical and research experience. Dr. Brazleton does not fall into the Sears trap of "Research shows..." while failing to provide any sort of evidence that research DOES show, or that there is even any research. Dr. Brazleton balances practical perspective with that of clinical and research perspective and provides supporting sources for his claims. He also recognizes the limitations and conditions under which his claims hold, and those under which modifications are necessary. If you are looking for one book on parenting and children, start here. My bet is that you'll be very glad you did.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever for new parents and grandparents., February 7, 2010

By 

Mary E. Grover (Westlake Village, CA, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What Every Baby Knows (Hardcover)

Dr Brazelton puts everything very clear and in a fashion that is easy to understand. As a new Grandmother 14 years ago, I found his program on TV and was thrilled with his thoughts on how to care for a baby and what to do to make it easy. His ideas saved my stress levels and let me be an easy going Nana. I had read Dr. Spock when I had my own children, but he never told me anything that was practical or easy to to. Dr. Brazelton in the way he approaches everything you do makes life easier and you and child more relaxed. It makes for a happier life for all.