
The NIH Baby Toolbox (NBT), previously called the NIH Infant and Toddler Toolbox, is now available for researchers and clinicians as an iPad app. The NIH Baby Toolbox is a standardized neurodevelopmental measurement tool for those who study infants and young children ages 1 to 42 months. It was designed to maximize usability, efficiency, and reliability, and is available in English and Spanish.
The NIH Baby Toolbox works by using direct observation to automatically generate scores that are based on a nationally representative sample of U.S. infants and children. It includes more than 30 validated tests that cover cognition, socioemotional skills, and motor function. These include tests that measure attention, memory, language, communication, and dexterity—areas commonly studied by developmental neuroscientists and behavioral and social specialists. Using the built-in iPad camera, the app records exactly where the baby or child is looking while doing an activity and measures reaction times and other objective behaviors.
The NIH Baby Toolbox is an extension of the original NIH Toolbox, which is meant for people ages 3- to 85-years-old. These toolboxes offer a standard way to measure neurological and behavioral development and health across the lifespan. They ensure that results can be compared across different studies, maximizing the use of data collected by researchers.
Investigators interested in exploring the app for their research purposes are encouraged to visit NIHbabyToolbox.org .