Rosemary White-Traut, PhD, RN

• Milwaukee Campus-Children's Wisconsin
  8915 W. Connell Court
  Milwaukee, WI 53226

Dr. White-Traut is a senior scientist whose main responsibility is to conduct a program of research and to engage others at Children’s Wisconsin in research activities. She also works with Children's Wisconsin's Research Institute to:

• Lead respective research units in strategically growing and advancing science in their disciplines
• Foster ongoing communication and collaboration within respective research units
• Create and encourage mentorship plan within respective research units
• Recommend funding priorities within respective research units
• Provide metrics for respective research units
• Develop and implement strategies for program development and team science (i.e., training grants and program project grants)

Education

• 1983, Rush University College of Nursing, PhD
• 1977, Boston University School of Nursing, MS
• 1975, Georgetown University, BA

Awards

Research

Dr. White-Traut’s research has focused on the behavioral, developmental, and neurohormonal responses of at-risk infants to a multisensory intervention named ATVV (Auditory, Tactile, Visual and Vestibular Intervention). Premature infants experience lower capacity for behavioral alertness and pre-feeding behavioral cues, difficulty with oral feeding, immature autonomic function, alterations in patterns of social interaction, and delayed development. Infants that received ATVV have consistently showed improved behavioral outcomes, feeding, and up to two weeks shorter length of hospital stay, which significantly reduces the cost of initial hospitalization. Dr. White-Traut’s publications have contributed towards an evidence-based approach to clinical practice for at risk premature infants.

Representative publications

• Griffith, T., Tell, D., Green, S., Barker, A., Bohan, A., Grunwaldt, J., Amin, S., White-Traut, R., & Janusek, L. (2024). "Early Life Stress, DNA Methylation of NR3C1 and HSD11B2, and Oral Feeding Skill Development in Preterm Infants: A Pilot Study". Advances in Neonatal Care., Epub December 26, 2024.
• Griffith, T., White-Traut, R., Green, S. J. & Janusek, L. (2024). Epigenetics Embedding of Oral Feeding Skill Development in Preterm Infants: A Study Protocol. Advances in Neonatal Care. DOI: 10.1097/ANC.0000000000001216
• Polfuss, M., Smith, K., Hopson, B., Moosreiner, A., Huang, H., Ravelli, M. N., Ding, D., Huang, Z., Rocque, B., G., White-Traut, R., Van Speybroeck, A., & Sawin, K. (2024). Body composition and energy expenditure in youth with Spina Bifida: Study protocol for a multisite, prospective, cross-sectional study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13, e52779.
• *MacLean, E. L., Carranza, E., Gnanadesikan, G. E., King, K. M., Allen, A. M., Linde-Krieger, L. B., Feldman, R., White-Traut, R., Hammock, E. A. D., Carter, C. S., Leng, G., Tecot, S. R., & Bell, A. F. (2023). Neurophysin I is an analytically robust surrogate biomarker for oxytocin. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 161, 106951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106951
• *Kapito, E. M., Chirwa E. M., Chodzaza E., Norr, K. F., Patil, C., Maluwa, A. O., & White-Traut, R. (2023). The H-HOPE behavioral intervention plus Kangaroo Mother Care increases mother-preterm Infant responsivity in Malawi: A prospective cohort comparison. BMC Pediatrics, 23(187), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-023-04015-z
• *Malin, K. J., Kruschel, K., Gondwe, K., Lagatta, J., Carter, C. S., Nazarloo, H. P., Conley, Y., & White-Traut, R. (2023). Feasibility of stress research in premature infant-maternal dyads during and after NICU hospitalization. Advances in Neonatal Care. 23(6), 583–595. https://doi.org/10.1097/ANC.0000000000001112
• Malin, K. J., Gondwe, K. W., Fial, A. V., Moore, R., Conley, Y., White-Traut, R., & Griffith, T. (2023). Scoping
  review of early toxic stress and epigenetic alterations in the neonatal intensive care unit. Nursing Research, 72(3), 218-228. https://doi.org10.1097/NNR.0000000000000652
• *Malin, K. J., Johnson,T. S., Brown, R. L., Leuthner, J., Malnory, M., White‐Traut, R., Rholl, E., & Lagatta, J. (2022). Uncertainty and perinatal post‐traumatic stress disorder in the neonatal intensive care unit. Research in Nursing & Health, 45(6), 717-732. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22261

Book chapters

• White-Traut, R., Hogan, B., Rigby-McCotter, C., & McGrath, J. M. (2021). Chapter 19: Touch & Massage with High-Risk infants. In C. Kenner & J. M. McGrath (Eds.), Developmental care of newborns and infants: A guide for health professionals (3rd ed.). Chicago, Illinois: National Association of Neonatal Nurses.
• White-Traut, R. C., Dols, J., & McGrath, J. M. (2010). Chapter 19: Touch & Massage with High-Risk infants. In C. Kenner & J. M. McGrath (Eds.), Developmental care of newborns and infants: A guide for health professionals (2nd ed.). Chicago, Illinois: National Association of Neonatal Nurses.
• Shin, H., & White-Traut, R. (2010). Chapter 3.3: The conceptual structure of transition to motherhood in the neonatal intensive care unit. In A. I. Meleis (Ed.), Transitions theory: Middle range and situation specific theories in nursing research and practice (1st ed., pp. 104-113). New York: Spring Publishing Company.
• Wyckoff, M. M., White-Traut, R. C., & McGrath, J. M. (2003). Chapter 25: Nutrition and feeding of the high-risk infant. In C. Kenner & J. Wright Lott (Eds), Comprehensive neonatal nursing: A physiologic perspective (3rd ed., pp. 425-447). Philadelphia, PA: Sanders.
• White-Traut, R. C. (1997). Infant behavior, disorganized: risk for. In M. J. Kim, G. K. McFarland & A. M. McLane (Eds.), Pocket guide to nursing diagnosis (7th ed.). St. Louis: Mosby.
• White-Traut, R. C. (1995). Infant behavior, disorganized. In M. J. Kim, G. K. McFarland & A. M. McLane (Eds.), Pocket guide to nursing diagnosis (6th ed). St. Louis: Mosby.
• White Traut, R. C., Nelson, M. N., & Silvestri, J. M. (1990). The effectiveness of multisensory stimulation in enhancing recovery among preterm infants. In S. Funk, E. Tornquist, M. T. Champagne, L. A. Copp, & R.A. Wiese (Eds.), Key aspects of recovery: Improving nutrition, rest and mobility (pp. 130-148). New York: Springer.

Grants

• (Pending) mHealth Intervention to Promote Improved Health Outcomes for Racially Diverse Pediatric Organ Transplant Families, National Institute of Nursing Research, (PI Lerret, Co-I White-Traut)
• (Pending) Randomized Controlled Trial of Multisensory Early Oral Administration of Human Milk (M-MILK) Very Preterm Infants: Enhancing Stress Regulation, Neurodevelopment, and Oral Feeding Skills, National Institute of Nursing Research, (PI Griffith, Co-I White-Traut) 
• (Pending)Impact of H-HOPE Intervention on Infants on Infants with Congenital Defects and their 
   Mothers, Schreiber Family Center for Early Childhood Health and Wellness (PI Horner, Co-PI 
   White-Traut)
• 2020 Implementation of an Evidence Based Parentally Administered Intervention for Preterm Infants. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD098095), (MPI – White-Traut) ($2,500,000).
• 2020 A Randomized Controlled Trial to Improve Mother-Infant Synchrony among Women with Childhood Adversity. National Institute of Nursing Research (R01NR018828), (Co-investigator – White-Traut) (PI- A. Bell) ($1,637,332).
• 2019 Body Composition and Energy Expenditure in Youth with Spina Bifida. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD096085), (Co-investigator – White-Traut) (PI- Polfuss) ($2,500,000).
• 2016 Maternal and Infant Responses to Infant care Education. ATVV, and ATVVO Stimuli. Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products, Research and Development Office, (PI – White-Traut) ($400,000).
• National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, (PI – White-Traut) ($2,500,000)
• 2007 Feeding and Transition to Home for Preterms at Social Risk. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and National Institute of Nursing Research, (PI – White-Traut) ($3,300,000)
• 2005 Mother-Administered Interventions for VLBW Infants. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, (Co-investigator) (PI – D. Holditch-Davis) ($2,500,000)
• 2003 Behavioral and Neuroendocrine Responses of Mothers and Infants During Bathing. Johnson & Johnson Worldwide, (PI – White-Traut) ($60,000)
• 2001 High-Risk Preterm Infants Habituation to Sound in the Special Care Nursery