A macrosomic infant is born after a difficult forceps-assisted delivery.
After stabilization, the infant is weighed, and the birth weight is 4550 g (9 lbs, 6 ounces). The nurse’s most appropriate action is to:
Leave the infant in the room with the mother.
Take the infant immediately to the nursery.
Perform a gestational age assessment to determine whether the infant is large for gestational age.
Monitor blood glucose levels frequently and observe closely for signs of hypoglycemia.
The Correct Answer is D
choice D. Monitor blood glucose levels frequently and observe closely for signs of hypoglycemia. This is because a macrosomic infant (a newborn who’s much larger than average) is at risk of developing low blood sugar levels after birth, especially if the mother has diabetes. Hypoglycemia can cause neurological damage in the newborn, so it is important to detect and treat it promptly.
Choice A is wrong because leaving the infant in the room with the mother without monitoring the blood glucose levels may miss signs of hypoglycemia and delay treatment.
Choice B is wrong because taking the infant immediately to the nursery may separate the infant from the mother and interfere with breastfeeding, which can help prevent hypoglycemia.
Choice C is wrong because performing a gestational age assessment to determine whether the infant is large for gestational age is not urgent and does not address the risk of hypoglycemia.
Normal ranges for blood glucose levels in term infants are 2.6 mmol/L or higher at any time. A blood glucose level of 2.5 mmol/L or less is considered hypoglycemic.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
The correct answer is choice D. Perinatal transmission of HIV is when HIV is passed from a woman with HIV to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
Breast milk from an infected mother can contain HIV and infect the baby.
Choice A is wrong because HIV can be transmitted at any stage of pregnancy, not only in the third trimester.
Choice B is wrong because needlestick injury is not a common mode of perinatal transmission of HIV. It is more likely to occur among health care workers who are exposed to contaminated needles or sharp objects.
Choice C is wrong because HIV can also be transmitted through the ingestion of amniotic fluid, but it is not the only way. Amniotic fluid is the fluid that surrounds and protects the baby in the womb.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Bacteria that synthesize vitamin K is not present in the newborn’s intestinal tract. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting, and newborns are at risk of bleeding problems due to their lack of vitamin K. Therefore, vitamin K is given by injection to prevent hemorrhagic disease in the newborn.
Choice A is wrong because most mothers do not have a diet deficient in vitamin K, and vitamin K deficiency in newborns is not related to the maternal diet.
Choice B is wrong because vitamin K does not prevent the synthesis of prothrombin in the liver, but rather enhances it. Prothrombin is a clotting factor that requires vitamin K for its production.
Choice D is wrong because the supply of vitamin K is not inadequate for at least 3 to 4 months, but rather for a few days until the newborn’s intestinal bacteria start producing it.
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