A mother of a 3-hour-old infant requests information concerning breastfeeding.
The mother has tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).A nurse’s response should be based on which fact?

This is because circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves cutting off the foreskin of the penis, which may affect the urinary function of the baby.The nurse should make sure that the baby can urinate normally and without pain after the circumcision.

The amount of urine should be adequate for the baby’s weight and hydration status.

Choice B is wrong because the erectile ability of the penis is not affected by circumcision and is not a priority for discharge planning.

Choice C is wrong because the position of the urethral opening on the penis is not related to circumcision and should be assessed at birth, not at discharge.

Choice D is wrong because the presence of a small amount of white-yellow exudate around the glans tissue is normal and expected after circumcision.It is part of the healing process and does not indicate infection.The nurse should instruct the parents on how to care for the circumcised penis and when to seek medical attention if there are signs of complications.

The correct answer is choice C. Have a suction catheter available for use at delivery.This is because meconium-stained amniotic fluid indicates that the fetus has passed meconium (first stool) before birth, which can be a sign of fetal distress or hypoxia.Meconium can block the airways and cause breathing problems for the newborn, so suctioning the mouth and nose (or the trachea if needed) is important to prevent meconium aspiration syndrome.

Choice A is wrong because taking the mother’s vital signs every 15 minutes is not a specific intervention for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

Vital signs should be monitored regularly during labor regardless of the fluid color.

Choice B is wrong because sending a specimen of the fluid to the laboratory for analysis is not a priority action.The color and consistency of the fluid can be observed by the nurse and documented.

The laboratory analysis will not change the immediate management of the newborn.

Choice D is wrong because preparing a slide of the fluid for fern testing is not relevant for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

Fern testing is used to confirm the rupture of membranes by detecting a fern-like pattern of amniotic fluid under a microscope.It is not useful for assessing the presence or severity of meconium-stained amniotic fluid.