A nurse is assessing a child who has bacterial pneumonia.

Which of the following manifestations should the nurse expect?

Banana slices are soft, easy to chew, and can be picked up by the toddler’s fingers, which promotes independence in eating. According to the CDC, foods that toddlers should avoid include:

• Added sugars and no-calorie sweeteners, such as sugar-sweetened and diet drinks
• High-salt foods, such as canned foods, processed meats, frozen dinners, fast food, and junk food
• Unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese
• Foods that may cause choking, such as hard or crunchy foods, sticky foods, stringy cheese, and foods that are not cut up into small pieces

Choice A is wrong because popcorn is a choking hazard for toddlers.

It is hard, crunchy, and can get stuck in the airway. The NHS advises not to give whole nuts and peanuts to children under 5 years old.

Choice B is wrong because grapes are also a choking hazard for toddlers.

They are round, slippery, and can block the airway. The NHS recommends cutting grapes into quarters before giving them to young children.

Choice D is wrong because hot dogs are high in salt and can cause choking if not cut up into small pieces. The Extension warns against giving hot dogs to young toddlers.

Choice A reason

The anterior fontanel is open is the correct answer. An expected finding in an 8-month-old infant is that the anterior fontanel (the soft spot on the top of the baby's head) is open. The fontanelles are spaces between the bones of an infant's skull that allow for the baby's brain to grow and the skull to mould during birth.

The anterior fontanel typically remains open until the baby is around 18 to 24 months old, with the closure process starting sometime after 9 months of age. Therefore, at 8 months of age, it is normal for the anterior fontanel to still be open.

Choice B reason:

Both fontanels are the same size is incorrect. Both fontanels are usually not the same size. The anterior fontanel is larger and diamond-shaped, while the posterior fontanel is smaller and triangular.

Choice C reason:

The posterior fontanel is open is incorrect. The posterior fontanel, located at the back of the baby's head, usually closes earlier than the anterior fontanel. It typically closes within the first few months after birth, so it is not expected to be open at 8 months of age.

Choice D reason

Both fontanels show molding is incorrect. Molding refers to the temporary shaping of the baby's head during birth due to the pressure exerted during the passage through the birth canal. By 8 months of age, the molding typically resolves, and the baby's head should have a more rounded appearance.