A nurse is admitting a patient who is at 30 weeks of gestation and is in preterm labor.The patient has a new prescription for betamethasone and asks the nurse about the purpose of this medication. Which explanation should the nurse provide?

Choice A rationale
An Apgar score of 7 is considered fairly low and would typically be associated with a newborn who has more significant health concerns.
Choice B rationale
An Apgar score of 8 is considered to be within the normal range. This score would be consistent with a newborn who has a pink trunk and head, bluish hands and feet, flexed extremities, a weak and slow cry, a heart rate of 130/min, and cries in response to suctioning.
Choice C rationale
An Apgar score of 9 is considered to be within the normal range. However, given the newborn’s weak and slow cry, an Apgar score of 9 would be less likely.
Choice D rationale
An Apgar score of 10 is very unusual, as almost all newborns lose 1 point for blue hands and feet, which is normal for after birth.

Choice A rationale
Administering oxygen at 10 L/min via a non-rebreather mask is a common intervention for fetal distress, but it is not the first action a nurse should take when a decrease in fetal heart rate is observed.
Choice B rationale
Applying a fetal scalp electrode can provide a more accurate fetal heart rate reading, but it is an invasive procedure and is not the first action a nurse should take when a decrease in fetal heart rate is observed.
Choice C rationale
Changing the client’s position is the correct action. This is often the first intervention for a decrease in fetal heart rate because it can relieve possible compression of the umbilical cord, which can improve fetal circulation and increase the fetal heart rate.
Choice D rationale
Increasing the rate of the IV infusion can increase maternal blood volume and improve placental blood flow, but it is not the first action a nurse should take when a decrease in fetal heart rate is observed.