A nurse is collecting data from an adolescent who is postoperative and is receiving morphine for pain. Which of the following findings is the nurse's priority?

Choice C reason: The infant makes babbling sounds. At 6 months of age, it is typical for infants to engage in babbling sounds. Babbling is a significant milestone in language development during infancy. It involves the repetition of consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., "ba-ba,”. "ma-ma") and is an essential precursor to later language skills, such as forming words and sentences. The nurse should expect the 6-month-old infant to be making these babbling sounds as part of their normal development.

Choice A reason:

The infant has a pincer grasp. A pincer grasp is the ability to pick up small objects using the thumb and index finger. This fine motor skill typically develops around 9 to 12 months of age. At 6 months old, infants have not yet acquired the pincer grasp. Therefore, the nurse should not expect the 6-month-old infant to demonstrate this skill during the assessment.

Choice D reason:

The infant crawls on their hands and knees. Crawling is a gross motor skill that usually emerges between 7 to 10 months of age. While some infants may start crawling earlier or later, it is not a skill that is typically present in a 6-month-old. Therefore, the nurse should not anticipate the 6-month-old infant to be crawling on their hands and knees during the assessment.

Choice B reason:

The infant drops objects with the expectation of someone picking them up. This behavior, known as "object permanence,”. is a cognitive milestone that develops around 8 to 12 months of age. At 6 months old, infants have not yet fully developed this concept. They might drop objects as part of their exploratory behavior, but they do not yet understand the expectation of someone picking them up. Therefore, the nurse should not expect the 6- month-old infant to exhibit this specific behavior during the assessment.

Choice A reason:

If the parent states, "My child uses scissors to cut out the outline of an object,” this indicates fine motor skills development. While this is a positive milestone, it is not specific to the expected benchmarks of other preschoolers in this age group. The ability to cut out shapes with scissors varies widely among preschoolers.

Choice B reason:

"My child can copy triangle shapes onto paper.” This statement shows that the child can demonstrate some level of visual-motor coordination and fine motor skills. Copying shapes like triangles is a common milestone for many preschoolers at the age of 3 and is considered an expected benchmark.

Choice C reason:

If the parent says, "My child can ride a tricycle,” this indicates gross motor skills development. Riding a tricycle is also a milestone achieved by many preschoolers, but it may not be as specific to the expected benchmarks of this age group as choice B, which focuses on fine motor skills and visual-motor coordination.

Choice D reason:

If the parent mentions, "My child can throw a ball overhead,” this also points to gross motor skills development. While throwing a ball overhead is an impressive skill for a 3-year-old, it may not be as common or consistent among all preschoolers in this age group as the ability to copy triangle shapes onto paper (choice B).