A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who is postpartum about bathing her newborn. Which of the following statements by the client indicates a need for further teaching?

A. Maintaining ambient room temperature at 24° C (75° F) can help prevent heat loss by keeping the environment warm, but it does not specifically address evaporative heat loss. Evaporative heat loss occurs when moisture on the skin evaporates, which is not directly controlled by ambient temperature.

B. Drying the newborn's skin thoroughly reduces evaporative heat loss by removing moisture that can evaporate and cool the skin. This action is critical immediately after birth when the newborn is wet with amniotic fluid.

C. Preventing air drafts helps reduce convective heat loss, not evaporative heat loss. Convective heat loss occurs when air moves across the skin and carries heat away.

D. Placing the newborn on a warm surface helps reduce conductive heat loss by preventing heat transfer from the baby to a cooler surface. However, this does not address evaporative heat loss, which is specifically related to moisture evaporation from the skin.

Choice A rationale:

Cephalhematoma is the correct answer because it presents as a swelling on the newborn's head confined to one cranial bone and does not cross suture lines. It usually resolves on its own within a few weeks to months but can increase the risk of jaundice due to the breakdown of red blood cells in the hematoma.

Choice B rationale:

Nevus flammeus, also known as a port-wine stain, is a type of vascular birthmark. It presents as a flat, pink, or red mark on the skin and does not involve swelling of the head. This choice is unrelated to the findings described in the question and is therefore incorrect.

Choice C rationale:

Caput succedaneum refers to a diffuse, soft tissue swelling of the scalp that does cross suture lines. It is caused by pressure on the head during delivery, leading to edema and bruising. It typically resolves within a few days after birth.

Choice D rationale:

Molding refers to the shaping of the fetal head during childbirth as it passes through the birth canal. It may cause temporary elongation or molding of the head, but it does not present as a localized swollen area. This choice is not applicable to the findings mentioned in the question and is thus incorrect.