ATI RN
Nursing Care of the Newborn Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is performing a gestational age assessment on a newborn. Which characteristic indicates the greatest gestational maturity?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because peeling and cracking of the skin, known as desquamation, is characteristic of a newborn born at term or post-term. This indicates the skin has been in contact with amniotic fluid for an extended period, typical of a more mature gestational age. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as they do not specifically indicate gestational maturity. Arms and legs extended (A) can be seen in preterm infants. Few rugae on the scrotum and high testes (C) can be normal variations in newborns. The arm positioning (D) does not provide a direct indicator of gestational age.
Question 2 of 5
The mother-baby nurse is providing care to a patient and her newborn 2 hours after delivery. On review of the newborn's chart, the nurse sees a notation of caput succedaneum. What will the nurse expect to find in the mother's chart?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: A longer than usual labor. Caput succedaneum is swelling of the baby's scalp due to pressure during labor. This indicates a longer labor duration. A: Race is not a factor in the development of caput succedaneum. C: Administration of an epidural does not directly cause caput succedaneum. D: Delivery by cesarean birth is not associated with caput succedaneum.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse is assessing a newborn and notes a nevus flammeus birthmark. Which of the following figures depicts this birthmark?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because nevus flammeus, also known as a port-wine stain, is a flat, pink, or red birthmark that appears as a patch on the skin. Choice C depicts a birthmark that matches this description. Choice A shows a mole, choice B shows a café-au-lait spot, and choice D shows a strawberry hemangioma, which are different types of birthmarks. So, choice C is the only one that accurately represents a nevus flammeus birthmark.
Question 4 of 5
The postpartum nurse notices that a new mother has her neonate unwrapped and undressed 'to check out the baby.' For which reason does the nurse conclude the neonate is at risk for cold stress?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because cool and clammy skin is a sign of cold stress in neonates. When a neonate's skin is cool and clammy, it indicates that the baby is losing body heat and struggling to maintain a stable body temperature. Cold stress can lead to complications such as hypothermia and respiratory distress. A: Increased metabolic rate would actually help generate heat to combat cold stress. B: Respiratory rate dropping is not necessarily indicative of cold stress and may be a normal response to being undressed. C: Moving extremities about is a normal behavior and not necessarily a sign of cold stress.
Question 5 of 5
The nurse is assessing a term neonate delivered to a mother with a history of drug and alcohol abuse. Which finding does the nurse relate to the mother's history?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because a head circumference below the 10th percentile for gestational age can be indicative of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which is commonly seen in infants of mothers with a history of drug and alcohol abuse. This is due to restricted fetal growth caused by maternal substance abuse. A, B, and C are incorrect: A: Chest circumference being less than head circumference is not directly related to maternal drug and alcohol abuse. B: The neonate's pulse rate increasing when crying is a normal physiological response and is not specific to the mother's history of substance abuse. C: Absence of tear production when crying is not a typical finding related to maternal drug and alcohol abuse.