Chapter 3: Growth and Development of the Newborn and Infant
A teen mom asks the discharge nurse if it is okay to sleep in bed with her baby. She says her mom always did it with her siblings and it seemed okay. How should the nurse respond?
"Baby can sleep in your room in an infant crib, but not in an adult bed."
The mother of an infant is confused after being told by her dentist not to let her baby go to bed with a bottle of milk. She does not agree with that suggestion. Which response should the nurse prioritize when addressing this situation with the mother?
"Bottles given at bedtime can cause erosion of the enamel on the teeth."
A 9-month-old has been brought to the clinic for a well-child visit. The mother reports her son was born 6 weeks prematurely. During the data collection, the child's mother reports her son seems to be a few months "behind" what she recalls from her older children. What is the best response by the nurse?
"Delays are normal when a child is premature."
The mother of a 11-month-old has come to the clinic with concerns. She reports to the nurse that her baby's "soft spot in the front" is now gone. The nurse assesses the infant and notes the fontanel has closed. What response by the nurse is most appropriate?
"The soft spot or fontanel has closed."
The nurse goes in to check on a new mother to see how breast-feeding is going with her new son. The nurse observes the infant is on the mother's lap with the blanket unwrapped, and the mother is washing his face, and gently stroking the baby. The mother has had trouble breastfeeding the last few times. What is the appropriate response from the nurse?
"You are doing a wonderful job attempting to wake the baby."
The infant weighs 7 lb 4 oz (3,248 g) at birth. If the infant is following a normal pattern of growth, what would be the expected weight for this child at the age of 12 months?
21 lb 12 oz (9.9 kg)
The nurse is assessing the 10-month-old infant. The nurse notes the anterior fontanel has closed. What initial action by the nurse is indicated?
Document the findings as normal.
The pediatric nurse is careful to monitor and assess the growth and development of all clients. Which characteristic should the nurse prepare to assess in the infants?
Grows and develops skills more rapidly than at any other time in their life.
The nurse is educating the mother of a 6-month-old boy about the symptoms for teething. Which symptom would the nurse identify?
Increased biting and sucking
An infant is breastfed. When assessing the stools, which findings would be typical?
Less constipation than bottle-fed infants
The nurse is assessing the oral cavity of a 6-month-old child. When palpating the location in which the first primary teeth erupt, which location is being assessed?
Lower central gumline
The parent of a 3-month-old infant is concerned because the infant does not yet sit by oneself. Which statement best reflects average sitting ability?
Most infants do not sit steadily until 8 months; this infant is normal.
The nurse is assessing the newborn. Which would the nurse assess to be an abnormal finding?
Natal teeth noted in the mouth that are loose
The student nurse is caring for a 2 1/2-week-old in the newborn intensive care unit. Which term is most accurate when discussing this client?
Newborn
The nurse is assessing the oral cavity of a 4-month-old infant. Which finding is consistent with a child of this age?
No teeth
The clinic nurse is assessing a 9-month-old client. The parents state, "Our baby is having a really hard time teething." Which nursing action is appropriate?
Recommend the parents provide the infant a cold teething ring to chew
Which activity will the nurse encourge new parents to complete in order to assist their infant in accomplishing Erikson's developmental task for the first year of life?
Respond promptly when the infant cries
The best way for an infant's parent to help the child complete the developmental task of the first year is to:
Respond to the infant consistently.
Which developmental milestone would the nurse expect an 11-month-old infant to have achieved?
Sitting independently
Which milestone would the nurse expect an infant to accomplish by 8 months of age?
Sitting without support
At what age would it be okay to introduce carrots to an infant's diet?
Solid food can be introduced at 4 to 6 months of age.
The nurse is completing a developmental assessment on a 6-month-old infant. Which findings indicate the need for additional follow-up? Select all that apply.
The infant does not pay attention to noises behind him. The infant has frequent episodes of crossed eyes. The infant seems disinterested in the surrounding environment.
The nurse is performing an assessment on a 8-month-old infant. The infant's medical history notes that he was born at 32 weeks' gestation. The infant is progressing normally. At what adjusted age should the nurse expect the infant's developmental accomplishments?
The infant will most likely present with developmental skills consistent with a 6-month-old infant.
The nurse is making a home visit and observes the 7-month-old pulling the family dog's hair and ears. Which parenting skill does the nurse determine is most effective?
The parent tells the child "no" with a stern voice and pulls the child's hand away from the dog
The mother of a 1-month-old infant voices concern about her baby's respirations. She states they are rapid and irregular. Which information should the nurse provide?
The respirations of a 1-month-old infant are normally irregular and periodically pause.
The nurse is assessing the sleeping practices of the parents of a 4-month-old girl who wakes repeatedly during the night. Which parent comment might reveal a cause for the night waking?
They put her to bed when she falls asleep.
A staff nurse is talking about Piaget's theory with a nursing student. Infants are in the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development during which object permanence is mastered. An example of an infant displaying this ability is:
looking for a toy in her crib at the last place she saw it.
The nurse is teaching the parents of a 9-month-old infant about proper dental care. Which statement by the parents most concerns the nurse?
"Our infant goes to sleep at night with a bottle of milk or juice."
A mother takes her 4-month-old to the doctor for a visit. She asks the nurse what type of baby cereal she should buy now that her child is starting solid foods. How should the nurse respond?
"You should buy rice cereal."
The mother of a newborn reports she does not think her baby likes his formula since he spits up after only taking a small amount. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?
"Your baby's stomach is small and can only hold about 1/2 to 1 ounce at birth."
The mother of an 8-month-old infant questions the nurse about the her daughter's visual abilities. Which information may be included in the response by the nurse?
"Your daughter is able to see objects at a distance."
A nurse places a toy car in front of a 6-month-old girl. She swats at it, and the car flies across the examination table and lands on the floor. She squeals with surprise and delight. When the nurse puts the toy car in front of her again, she immediately swats it again and laughs as it rolls across the table and falls to the floor again. What has the girl demonstrated?
Secondary circular reaction
A parent asks the nurse if her 2-month-old could have bananas yet. The nurse would respond and educate the parent on the nutrition stages of infants by which of these responses?
"In two months you can try bananas if you think she is ready."
The nurse is educating a new parent regarding nutritional needs for the newborn. Which is accurate and should be taught about the nutritional needs of a newborn?
Formula is designed to provide similar amounts of calories as breast milk would provide.
