People
Emeriti
Karen F. Pridham, PhD, RN, FAAN
Professor Emerita
PhD, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Nursing
MS, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Nursing
BS, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Nursing
E-mail: kpridham@wisc.edu
Caregiving—what it is, how it is assessed, what supports it and how it develops—and its biological and psychosocial outcomes is the central focus of Karen Pridham's research. She studies caregiving in mothers and family members of children with special needs. Professor Pridham conducts longitudinal studies of children with very low birth-weight or congenital conditions in hospital or at home. The aim of these studies is to learn about the experience of family members in caregiving and their development of competencies. She has tested an intervention—guided participation—to support the development of competencies and to examine how competencies make a difference on such outcomes as dietary intake and growth. Her work with an interdisciplinary team aids extension of the research to such topics as child feeding skills and respiration during feeding, mother infant interaction, and biochemical markers of dietary adequacy, and health.
Research Interests
Caregiving practices; parents and family members; child feeding
Practice Areas
Pediatric nursing; public health nursing
Representative Publications
Pridham, K.F., Sondel, S., Chang, A., and Green, C. (1993). Nipple-feeding practice for preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: Influencing factors and outcomes. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 22(2) 147-155.
Pridham, K.F. (1993). Anticipatory guidance of parents of new infants: Examination of theoretical bases and the potential contribution of the internal working model construct. IMAGE: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 25, 49-56.
Pridham, K.F., Chang, A., and Chiu, Y. (1994). Influences on mothers' use of clinician help in the infants' first three months. Public Health Nursing, 11(2), 80-89.
Pridham, K. F., Chang, A. S., and Chiu, Y. M. (1994). Mothers' parenting self-appraisals: The contribution of perceived infant temperament. Research in Nursing & Health, 17, 381-392.
Pridham, K.F., Denney, N., Pascoe, J., Chiu, Y.M., and Creasey, D. (1995). A study of mothers' solutions to child-care problems. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 785-799.
Stephenson, G.R., Pridham, K.F., and Mlynarczyk, S. (1996). A computerized method of describing phase-related interactive events: Infant feeding as an example. Computers in Nursing, 14(2), 89-98.
Pridham, K. F. (1997). Mothers' help seeking as care initiated in a social context. IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 29(1), 65-70.
Underwood, S., Pridham, K., Brown, L., Frazier, W., Clark, T., Schroeder, M., Limbo, R., and Thoyre, S. (1997). Infant feeding practices of low income African American women in a central city community. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 14(3), 189-205.
Pridham, K., Limbo, R., Schroeder, M., Thoyre, S., and Van Riper, M. (1998). Guided participation and development of caregiving competencies for families of low birth-weight infants. Journal of Adv Nursing, 28, 1948-1958.
Broome, M., Knafl, K., Pridham, K., and Feetham, S. (Eds.). (1998). Children and families: State of the science in nursing. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Pridham, K., Brown, R., Sondel, S., Green, C., Wedel, N. Y., and Lai, H. C. (1998). Transition time to full nipple feeding for premature infants with a history of lung disease. JOGNN, 27, 533-545.
Pridham, K. F., and Pascoe, J. (1999). The quality of mothers’ solutions to child-rearing problems: What difference does setting internal or external to the family make? Journal of Adv Nursing, 30(1), 211-219.
Pridham, K., Kosorok, M. R., Greer, F., Carey, P., Kayata, S., and Sondel, S. (1999). The effects of prescribed versus ad libitum feeding and formula caloric density on premature infant dietary intake and weight gain. Nursing Research, 48, 86-93.
Pridham, K.F., Schroeder, M., and Brown, R. (1999). The adaptiveness of mothers' working models of caregiving through the first year: Infant and mother contributions. Research in Nursing & Health, 22, 471-485.
Pridham, K., Becker, P., and Brown, R. (2000). Effects of infant and caregiving conditions on an infant's focused exploration of toys. Journal of Adv Nursing, 31(6), 1439-1448.
Pridham, K., Lin, C. Y., and Brown, R. (2001). Mothers' evaluation of their caregiving for premature and full-term infants through the first year: contributing factors. Research in Nursing & Health, 24, 157-169.
Pridham, K., Kosorok, M. R., Greer, F., Kayata, S., Bhattacharya, A., and Grunwald, P. (2001). Comparison of caloric intake and weight outcomes of an ad lib feeding regimen for preterm infants in two nurseries. Journal of Adv Nursing, 35, 751-759.
Pridham, K. F., Schroeder, M., Brown, R., and Clark, R. (2001). The relationship of a mother's working model of feeding to her feeding behaviour. Journal of Adv Nursing, 35, 741-750.
Pridham, K. F., Brown, R., Sondel, S., Clark, R., and Green, C. (2001). Effects of Biologic and Experiential Conditions on the Pattern of Growth in Weight of Premature and Full-Term Infants. Research in Nursing & Health, 24, 283-297.
Steward, D. K., and Pridham, K. F. (2001). Stability of respiratory quotient and growth outcomes of very low birth weight infants. Biological Research for Nursing, 2, 198-205.
Pridham, K. F., Brown, R., Clark, R., Sondel, S., and Green, C. (2002). Infant and caregiving factors affecting weight-for-age and motor development of full-term and premature infants at 1 year post-term. Research in Nursing & Health, 25, 394-410.
Steward, D. K., and Pridham, K. F. (2002). Growth patterns of extremely low-birth-weight hospitalized preterm infants. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 31, 57-65.
Pridham, K., Saxe, R., and Limbo, R. (2004). Feeding issues for mothers of very low-birth-weight, premature infants through the first year. Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 18, 161-169.
Pridham, K., Bhattacharya, A., Thoyre, S., Steward, D., Bamberger, J., Wells, J., Green, C., Greer, F., Green, P., and O’Brien, M. (2005). Exploration of the Contribution of Biobehavioral Variables to the Energy Expenditure of Preterm Infants. Biological Research for Nursing, 6, 216-229.
Thoyre, S. M., Shaker, C., and Pridham, K. F. (2005). The Early Feeding Skills Assessment for Preterm Infants. Neonatal Network, 24(3), 8-16.
Pridham, K., Brown, R., Clark, R., Limbo, R. K., Schroeder, M., Henriques, J., and Bohne, E. (2005). Effect of guided participation on feeding competencies of mothers and their premature infants. Research in Nursing & Health, 28, 252-267.
Schroeder, M., and Pridham, K. (2006). Guided participation for mothers of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units: Development of relationship competencies. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing, 35, 358-368.
Pridham, K., Krolikowski, M., Limbo, R., Paradowski, J., Rudd, N., Meurer, J., Uttech, A., and Henriques, H. (2006). Guiding mothers’ management of health problems of very low birth-weight infants. Public Health Nursing, 23, 205-215.
Pridham, K., Limbo, R., Schroeder, M., Krolikowski, M., and Henriques, J. (2006). A continuing education program for hospital and public health nurses in guiding families of VLBW infants in caregiving. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 37(2), 74-85.
Pridham, K., Steward, D., Thoyre, S., Brown, R., and Brown, L. (2007). Feeding skill performance in premature infants during the first year. Early Human Development, 83, 293-305.
Limbo, R., and Pridham, K. (2007). Mothers' understanding of their infants in the context of an internal working model of caregiving. Advances in Nursing Science, 30, 139-150.
Brown, L. F., Thoyre, S., Pridham, K., and Schubert, C. (in press). The Mother-Infant Feeding Tool. JOGNN.
Selected Presentations
Motivations for Parenting Infants with a Congenital Heart Defect. 5th World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (WCPCCS), Cairns, Australia, June 21-26, 2009. (download PDF, 3 MB)
Motivating Forces for Parents of One-Month-Old Infants with a Complex Congenital Heart Defect. 32nd Annual Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference, March, 2008. (download PDF, 187 MB)
Energy Expenditure and Activity of Preterm Infants During Progression to Nipple Feeding. 31st Annual Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference, March, 2007. (download JPEG, 802 KB)
Internal Working Models of Parenting Infants with a Complex Congenital Heart Defect, 31st Annual Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference, March, 2007. (download JPEG, 731 KB)
Infant and Family Contributions to Mothers’ Competencies in Feeding Their VLBW Infants. XVth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies, Kyoto, Japan, June, 2006. (download PDF, 193 KB)
Parents’ Expectations During the First Year Concerning an Infant with a Complex Congenital Heart Defect. XVth Biennial International Conference on Infant Studies, Kyoto, Japan, June, 2006. (download PDF, 474 KB)
Selected Awards and Honors
Callon-Leonard Award, Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care, 2002
Wisconsin Nurses Association Maternal-Child Nurse of the Year, March of Dimes Award, 1998
University of Wisconsin–Madison Nurses' Alumni Organization Distinguished Alumnus Achievement Award, 1998
Nominated by the Wisconsin State Nurses Association for the 2000 Honorary Recognition Award of the American Nurses Association, 1998
Midwest Nursing Research Society Distinguished Contributions to Research in the Midwest, 1997
Wisconsin Nurses Association Excellence in Nursing Research Award, 1996
Midwest Nursing Research Society Pediatric Nursing Section Research Award, 1995
Midwest Nursing Research Society "Honor a Nurse Researcher" program honoree, 1994, 1995
Helen Denne Schulte Professorship, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1989
Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), 1979