The Neonatal Moment of Meeting—Building the Dialogue, Strengthening the Bond

It is proposed that in the early neonatal period there are moments of meeting between parent and infant, such as mutual gaze, in which parents realize that their baby is a true interlocutor with meaningful behavior who is ready to engage in interactions. These events significantly strengthen the attachment and are foundational for the beginning of intersubjectivity. The use of the Newborn Behavioral Assessment Scale is described in scaffolding these neonatal moments of meeting.