an instrument used in both research and clinical settings to assess the neurological and behavioral status of newborns and infants up to 2 months old, as indicated by their responses to various stimuli (a light directed to the eye, a moving ball, a rattle, etc.). The Brazelton scale currently contains 14 neurologically and 26 behaviorally oriented items; the former are graded on a 4-point scale of intensity of response, and the latter on a 9-point scale. Originally developed in 1973, the scale was revised in 2000. Also called Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS). [Thomas Berry Brazelton (1918– ), U.S. pediatrician]