A pregnant woman undergoes a triple/quadruple screen at 16 to 18 weeks' gestation. What would the nurse suspect if the woman's alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level is decreased?

Choice A Reason: This is the correct answer because it is an empathetic and supportive response that acknowledges the client's loss and grief. This is an empathetic and supportive response that acknowledges the client's loss and grief. The other choices are inappropriate because they are insensitive, dismissive, or inaccurate.

Choice B Reason: This is an inappropriate answer because it implies that the nurse does not understand or care about the client's emotional state. It also suggests that the client has no Reason to cry, which is invalidating and hurtful.

Choice C Reason: This is an inappropriate answer because it focuses on the physical pain rather than the emotional pain of the client. It also implies that the nurse wants to avoid dealing with the client's feelings and just give them a medication to make them stop crying.

Choice D Reason: This is an inappropriate answer because it is inaccurate and misleading. A spontaneous abortion, also known as a miscarriage, occurs when a pregnancy ends before 20 weeks of gestation. At this stage, the baby is already formed and has a heartbeat, organs, and limbs. Saying that a baby still wasn't formed in the womb is false and insensitive to the client's loss.

Choice A Reason: This is incorrect because ultrasound visualization of the fetus is a positive sign of pregnancy, not a probable sign. A positive sign of pregnancy is a direct and definitive evidence of the presence of a fetus, such as fetal movement felt by the examiner or fetal heart sounds heard by a Doppler device.

Choice B Reason: This is correct because softening of the cervix, also known as Goodell's sign, is a probable sign of pregnancy. A probable sign of pregnancy is a strong indication of pregnancy based on physical changes in the reproductive organs, such as enlargement of the uterus or changes in the shape and consistency of the cervix.

Choice C Reason: This is correct because a positive pregnancy test, which detects human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in urine or blood, is a probable sign of pregnancy. However, it is not a conclusive sign, as hCG can also be produced by other conditions such as ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, or trophoblastic tumors.

Choice D Reason: This is correct because absence of menstruation, also known as amenorrhea, is a probable sign of pregnancy. It occurs when ovulation and menstruation cease due to hormonal changes during pregnancy. However, it is not a definitive sign, as amenorrhea can also be caused by other factors such as stress, illness, or hormonal imbalances.

Choice E Reason: This is correct because ballottement, which is a rebounding of the fetus against the examiner's fingers during a pelvic examination, is a probable sign of pregnancy. It can be felt around 16 to 20 weeks of gestation.

Choice F Reason: This is incorrect because auscultation of a fetal heart beat, which can be heard by a fetoscope around 18 to 20 weeks of gestation or by a Doppler device around 10 to 12 weeks of gestation, is a positive sign of pregnancy, not a probable sign.