A nurse is assessing a postpartum client during a follow-up visit.

What was the client’s score on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen?

Choice A rationale
Maintaining a low-stimulation environment is recommended for newborns exhibiting clinical findings of NAS56. This can help to reduce symptoms such as irritability and restlessness.
Choice B rationale
Weighing the newborn daily is important in the care of a newborn with NAS56. This can help to monitor the newborn’s growth and development, and any significant changes in weight could indicate a need for further medical intervention.
Choice C rationale
Advising the parent to avoid breastfeeding is not typically recommended for mothers who used opioids prior to pregnancy and were prescribed methadone during pregnancy. In fact, breastfeeding is often encouraged for these mothers, as it can help to reduce the severity of NAS symptoms in the newborn.
Choice D rationale
Avoiding eye contact with the newborn during feeding is not typically recommended as part of the care for a newborn with NAS56. Eye contact can help to promote bonding between the parent and the newborn.
Choice E rationale
The administration of naloxone is not typically recommended for a newborn with NAS56. Naloxone is a medication used to reverse the effects of opioids, but it is not typically used in the treatment of NAS56.
Choice F rationale
Swaddling the newborn with flexed extremities can help to comfort a newborn with NAS56. This can help to reduce symptoms such as irritability and restlessness.
Choice G rationale
This option is not typically necessary for the management of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). The Ballard score is used to assess gestational age and physical maturity of a newborn, but it is not a routine part of monitoring for NAS.

Choice A rationale
Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment is administered to newborns to prevent neonatal conjunctivitis, also known as ophthalmia neonatorum, specifically for Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection prevention. If the guardian refuses the administration of erythromycin, the healthcare provider should respect the guardian’s decision and document the refusal. It’s important to note that the refusal should be informed, meaning the guardian should understand the potential risks associated with not administering the medication.
Choice B rationale
Informing the guardian that the medication can be given after discharge may not be the best course of action. The purpose of the ointment is to prevent infection immediately after birth when the risk is highest. Delaying the administration could potentially increase the risk of the newborn developing an infection.
Choice C rationale
Reporting the guardian’s refusal of the medication to social services is not the first step unless there are other concerns about the safety or well-being of the child. The healthcare provider should respect the guardian’s autonomy and their right to make informed decisions about the newborn’s care.
Choice D rationale
Notifying the facility’s ethics committee about the guardian’s medication refusal is not typically necessary unless the refusal puts the newborn at significant risk and other attempts to resolve the situation have failed. In this case, the refusal of erythromycin ophthalmic ointment, while not ideal, is not likely to warrant an ethics consultation.