A nurse is monitoring a patient in labor who has received epidural anesthesia for pain management. What should the nurse recognize as a potential complication from the epidural block?

Choice A rationale
Uterine atony refers to a soft and weak uterus after childbirth. It happens when your uterine muscles don’t contract enough to clamp the placental blood vessels shut after childbirth. This can lead to life-threatening blood loss after delivery. One of the causes of uterine atony is urinary retention. When the bladder is full, it can displace the uterus, preventing it from contracting properly. This can lead to uterine atony and postpartum hemorrhage. Therefore, urinary retention can cause uterine atony and lateral displacement of the fundus.
Choice B rationale
Poor involution of the uterus is a condition where the uterus does not return to its normal size after childbirth. While poor involution can lead to prolonged bleeding, it does not directly cause uterine atony. Uterine atony is specifically a lack of muscle contraction, while poor involution is a failure of the uterus to reduce in size.
Choice C rationale
While infection can lead to many complications during the postpartum period, it is not a direct cause of uterine atony. Infections can cause endometritis, which is inflammation of the uterine lining, but this does not prevent the uterus from contracting.
Choice D rationale
Hemorrhage, or heavy bleeding, is a result of uterine atony, not a cause. When the uterus does not contract properly after childbirth, it can lead to excessive bleeding, or hemorrhage.

Choice A rationale
Low birth weight is defined as a birth weight of less than 2500 grams. This newborn weighs 3200 grams, so it does not fall into this category.
Choice B rationale
A newborn is considered appropriate for gestational age if its weight falls between the 10th and 90th percentile for its gestational age. This newborn’s weight is in the 60th percentile for its gestational age of 38 weeks, so it is appropriate for gestational age.
Choice C rationale
Large for gestational age refers to a newborn whose weight is above the 90th percentile for its gestational age. This newborn’s weight is in the 60th percentile, so it does not fall into this category.
Choice D rationale
Small for gestational age refers to a newborn whose weight is below the 10th percentile for its gestational age. This newborn’s weight is in the 60th percentile, so it does not fall into this category.