Hayley Hendrikson Estrem, PhD, RN, studies child and family-centered care for infants and children with pediatric feeding disorder, a condition that has a significant impact on children their families, especially for children with delay or disability. In 2018 she completed a competitive NICHD-funded T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Center for Developmental Science (CDS) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and is now an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington School of Nursing (USA).

Pediatric feeding disorder causes dysfunction for both the child and the family. This is a serious issue as the first years of life are critical for neurological and social-emotional development. Infants and young children with developmental delays

have a compounded risk; for early intervention to be successful, nutrition and family interaction must be optimized. The goal of Dr. Estrem’s program of research is to develop a knowledge base about this complex developmental issue to improve assessment and treatment. She uses a multimethod approach and has experience with concept analyses, measure development, mixed-methods design, and symptom science. Dr. Estrem is currently a co-investigator on an NINR funded R01: Symptom Trajectories in Infants and Toddlers at Risk for Chronic Feeding Problems and will conduct a series of interviews with a subsample of parents. Also, Dr. Estrem is developing a family support program with the Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health, an intensive day treatment feeding disorder clinic in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

For more information contact IFNA member, Dr. Hayley Estrem: [email protected]

Marcia Van Riper, PhD, RN, FAAN, is a Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA). Dr. Van Riper’s research focuses on the family experience of being tested for and/or living with a genetic condition. Her primary goal is to improve understanding of why some families of individuals with Down syndrome (as well as other genetic conditions) are resilient and thrive, while others are vulnerable, and some deteriorate.

Much of Dr. Van Riper’s scientific inquiry has been with families of individuals with Down syndrome. Her collaborators circle the earth and include family researchers from Brazil, Ecuador, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States. Many of Dr. Van Riper’s collaborators are, have been, or will be members of IFNA. Key collaborators include Kathleen Knafl, George Knafl, Louise Fleming, Beth Skelton, Maria do Ceu Barbieri Figueiredo, Elysangela Dittz Duarte, Junko Honda, Hyunkyung Choi, Maria Caples, Maria Joao Silvia, Aline Santos, Sivia Barnoy, Elena Marta, Wannee Deoisres, and Margareth Angelo. She and her team recently completed a cross-cultural study of adaptation and resilience in families of individuals with Down syndrome. This broad-reaching study included over 3,000 parents from more than 50 countries. Recently, Dr. Van Riper and her team received funding to explore social determinants of health, quality of life, and family adaptation in three groups of families: families of children with congenital heart disease, families of children with Down syndrome and families of children with both conditions. They also received funding for a study in which they will examine family management of sleep issues in children with Down syndrome.

New publication:  Van Riper, M., Knafl, G. J., Barbieri-Figueiredo, M. C., Caples, M., Choi, H., de Graff, G., Duarte, E. D., Honda, J., Marta, E., Phetrasuwan, S., Alfieri, S., Angelo, M., Deoisres, W., Fleming, L., dos Santos, A. S., Roacha da Silva, M. J., Skelton, B., van der Veek, S., & Knafl, K. (2021). Measurement of family management in families of individuals with Down syndrome: A cross-cultural investigation. Journal of Family Nursing, 27(1), 8-22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1074840720975167

The two main frameworks Dr. Van Riper uses are: The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation; and the Family Management Style Framework. She uses a variety of measures including the Family Management Measure (FaMM), the Family Index of Regenerativity and Adaptation, the Family Hardiness Scale, the Family Problem Solving Communication Index, and the Family Assessment Measure. 

In Spring 2020, Dr. Van Riper was a Visiting Professor at the University of Navarra in Pamplona Spain. At the IFNC14 conference, Dr. Van Riper received a 2019 IFNA Excellence in Family Nursing Award. In 2015, she was a Fulbright Specialist at the University of Navarra in Spain, and in 2012, she was a Fulbright Scholar at University College Cork in Ireland in 2012.

For more information, contact Dr. Van Riper at [email protected]

Follow Dr. Van Riper on Twitter @MarciaVanRiper  and connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcia-van-riper-74440b7b/

Eric Hodges, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN, is an Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA). His research focuses on development of the young child’s self-regulation of feeding, with a primary interest in the area of early childhood obesity prevention. The goal of his work is to understand developmental trajectories in feeding self-regulation from infancy through toddlerhood. Through his research, Dr. Hodges is seeking to understand the role of parent-child dyadic feeding interactions in the development of early childhood obesity, and develop interventions to enhance self-regulation of energy intake for children. A recent research study examines influences of early childhood on later childhood practices.

Dr. Hodges’ program of research has primarily involved longitudinal data using a variety of measures including anthropometric measures, data from self-reported questionnaires, and physiologic data. His most recent research efforts are directed toward interventions to enhance feeding responsiveness and self-regulation during early childhood. Specific measurement instruments and measures Dr. Hodges has used include: Responsiveness to Child Feeding Cues Scale; respiratory sinus arrythmia as a measure of vagal tone in parent-child dyads; Infant Feeding Styles Questionnaire; Infant Intentionality Questionnaire;  Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire; and New General Self-efficacy Scale.

Dr. Hodges has the honor of being a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Alumnus.

For more information, contact Dr. Hodges at [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-hodges-phd-fnp-bc-b80a8341/