The organization of behavior in the newborn infant.

Abstract

The author summarizes as follows: "(1) From the stimulus-receptor aspect there appears to be little specificity of behavior. (2) Most of the responses tend to involve most of the major segments of the body, and the participation of smaller parts is likewise quite conspicuous. (3) Therefore, the neonate manifests highly generalized rather than specific types of behavior. (4) A quantitative expression of stimulus-receptor-effector relations seems to offer the best means of comparing one response with another at a given age level, or the behavior observed at one age period with that at another age period. (5) The extreme "organismic' view of behavior tends to ignore the differentiation among responses which actually exists. (6) The opposite view of behavior as reflex in nature tends to focus attention upon what is happening in some particular segment and to ignore what is taking place in other parts of the organism. (7) Perhaps the solution of the problem of behavioral organization will be the indication of the relative degree of participation of different parts of the organism."

Neurobehavioral assessment from fetus to infant: The NICU network neurobehavioral scale and the fetal neurobehavior coding scale

“…In the 1930s, Irwin regarded the newborn as a "non-cortical organism" [Irwin and Weiss, 1930]. Pratt challenged this view; stating that the infant is not merely a "miniature man" nor is the infant simply a "reflexive organism" [Pratt, 1935]. It took another decade for researchers to observe the newborn further for patterns of movement.…”

“…It took another decade for researchers to observe the newborn further for patterns of movement. Seminal work by Gilmer, McGraw, Wolff, and others [Gilmer, 1933;Pratt, 1935;McGraw, 1939;Wolff, 1959;Brazelton, 1961;Cobb, Grimm, Dawson, 1967;Korner, 1969] revealed that neonates have a repertoire of behaviors that are spontaneous yet can be elicited or diminished resulting in the development of assessments designed to assess more complex forms of behavior [Rosenblith, 1961;Brazelton, 1973]. These assessments, such as the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS), [Als, et al, 1977] have been used extensively to explore individual differences in infant behavior and how they are related to genetics and specific experiences of the infant prior to and during birth.…”

Efficacy and Safety of Sucrose for Procedural Pain Relief in Preterm and Term Neonates

“…Behaviord states are discrete behaviors that represent arousal level. State changes have been used to describe a shift dong a continuum of arousal fiom sleep to wakefulness (Pratt, 1937, Sokolov, 1963. Neonates spend much greater proportions of time in sleep versus awake states compared to older infants and the proportion of time spent in sleep states is related to gestational age, with preterm neonates spending the greatest arnount of time in sleep (Booth, McGrath, Brigham, Frewen & Whittall, 1989;ParmeIee & Stem, 1972;Stevens, 1993;Watt & Strongman, 1985).…”

Concept clarification of neonatal neurobehavioural organization

“…We identified an implicit theoretical framework, the infant’s complex behavioural repertoire, to provide structure to the selection of the literature review. Recognition of the infant’s complex behavioural repertoire was developed by experts across multiple disciplines over several decades, but can be first traced to the 1930s with the publications of McGraw (1939b, 1943) and contemporaries (Gilmer 1933, Pratt 1935). Their views were in contrast to the prevailing theoretical perspective that the infant was a passive recipient of environmental stimuli.…”