Exam 23: Physiologic and Behavioral Adaptations of the Newborn

A client is warm and asks for a fan in her room for her comfort.The nurse enters the room to assess the mother and her infant and finds the infant unwrapped in his crib with the fan blowing over him on high.The nurse instructs the mother that the fan should not be directed toward the newborn and that the newborn should be wrapped in a blanket.The mother asks why.How would the nurse respond?

What marks on a baby's skin may indicate an underlying problem that requires notification of a physician?

Which intervention can nurses use to prevent evaporative heat loss in the newborn?

While examining a newborn,the nurse notes uneven skinfolds on the buttocks and a clunk when performing the Ortolani maneuver.These findings are likely indicative of what?

While evaluating the reflexes of a newborn,the nurse notes that with a loud noise the newborn symmetrically abducts and extends his arms,his fingers fan out and form a C with the thumb and forefinger,and he has a slight tremor.The nurse would document this finding as a which positive reflex.

During life in utero,oxygenation of the fetus occurs through transplacental gas exchange.When birth occurs,four factors combine to stimulate the respiratory center in the medulla.The initiation of respiration then follows.What are these four essential factors? (Select all that apply. )

What is the correct term for the cheeselike,white substance that fuses with the epidermis and serves as a protective coating?

An African-American woman noticed some bruises on her newborn daughter's buttocks.The client asks the nurse what causes these.How would the nurse best explain this integumentary finding to the client?

Part of the health assessment of a newborn is observing the infant's breathing pattern.What is the predominate pattern of newborn's breathing?

A new mother states that her infant must be cold because the baby's hands and feet are blue.This common and temporary condition is called what?

Which newborn reflex is elicited by stroking the lateral sole of the infant's foot from the heel to the ball of the foot?

Which infant response to cool environmental conditions is either not effective or not available to them?

Which component of the sensory system is the least mature at birth?

Which information related to the newborn's developing cardiovascular system should the nurse fully comprehend?

The nurse is cognizant of which information related to the administration of vitamin K?

What is the most critical physiologic change required of the newborn after birth?

Which information about variations in the infant's blood counts is important for the nurse to explain to the new parents?

A primiparous woman is watching her newborn sleep.She wants him to wake up and respond to her.The mother asks the nurse how much he will sleep every day.What is an appropriate response by the nurse?

The nurse caring for a newborn checks the record to note clinical findings that occurred last shift.Which finding related to the renal system would be of increased significance and require further action?

How would the nurse differentiate a meconium stool from a transitional stool in the healthy newborn?