NUR 307 - Chapter 25: Growth and Development of the Newborn and Infant
The nurse is completing an infant history on a 5-month-old and documents the following symptoms. Which will the nurse attribute to teething? Select all that apply.
- Drooling and biting - Increased sucking on hands - Irritability and awakening from sleep - Refusing to eat Infants at age 5 months are in the process of cutting their first teeth, typically the upper or lower central incisors. Symptoms associated with the mouth and feeding are common. Fever and diarrhea are considered signs of illness, not teething.
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 A more accurate term for this child would be newborn rather than infant because the newborn or neonatal period of infancy is defined as the period from birth until 28 days of age. Infancy is the period of time up to 1 year old. Child and baby don't refer to the client's age accurately.
What action shows an example of Erik Erikson's developmental task for the infant?
The infant cries and the caregiver picks the child up. Erikson's psychosocial developmental task for the infant is to develop a sense of trust. The development of trust occurs when the infant has a need and that need is met consistently.
The nurse is assessing development of a 4-month-old boy during a well-child visit. Which observation needs further investigation?
The infant responds to his mother when he sees her but not at other times when she is near. If the infant does not respond to his mother's voice, it could indicate hearing loss. Infants recognize parents' voices from 1 month of age. It is normal for the infant to turn his head in the direction of a squeak toy, to focus visually on near or high-contrast objects, and to make babbling sounds but no words by this age. Infants develop a social smile at 2 months.
The mother of an infant asks you when to begin brushing her son's teeth. Your best response would be:
as soon as the first tooth erupts. Toothbrushing should begin with the eruption of the first tooth.
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 waken the baby." The nurse should be emotionally supportive to the new mom. The mom's techniques are commonly used in breastfed infants who are sleeping. The encouragement from the nurse will support the mom through this learning period. The other responses do not emotionally support the mom or contribute to a positive learning environment.
The nurse is assessing the neurological status of a 10-month-old infant. Which findings does the nurse determine to be abnormal when performing this assessment? Select all that apply.
- The infant turns to the right side, searching with mouth, when the right side of the cheek is stroked - The infant demonstrates reflexive sucking when nipple or finger is placed in infant's mouth - The infant reflexively grasps when the nurse touches the palm - With sudden extension of the infant's head, the arms abduct and move upward and the hands form a "C" The primitive reflexes (root, suck, palmar grasp, moro) should be absent by 10 months of age. The Babinski reflex persists until 12 months of age so the presence of this reflex would be considered a normal finding in the 10-month-old.
The nurse is assessing a 1-year-old at the well-child annual visit and notes the child is meeting the growth parameters. After noting the birth weight was 8 pounds (3.6 kg) and length was 20 inches (50.8 cm) long, which measurements would the nurse prepare to document for this visit?
24 pounds (10.8 kg) and 30 inches (75 cm) By 1 year of age, the infant should have tripled his or her birth weight and grown 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm). If this infant was 8 pounds (3.6 kg) at birth, at 1 year, this child should weigh 24 pounds (8 x 3 = 24) and grown to 30 to 32 inches (20 + 10 to 12 = 30 to 32 inches). Most of the growing occurs during the first 6 months with the infant's birth weight doubling and height increasing about 6 inches (15 cm). Growth slows slightly during the second 6 months but is still rapid.
The nurse is admitting a 12-month-old to the medical unit. During the admission process the parents tell the nurse that their child is very advanced because he says "ball" when he picks up a football. How should the nurse respond?
"That is great that he is recognizing objects and is able to name them. He is right on target for language skills." Recognizing the parents' excitement about their child's language skills while still letting them know that this is what the expected level is for language is a polite and accurate way to respond. The other responses do not give notice to the parents' pride and would likely make the parents feel defensive about their child's skill.
A first time breastfeeding mother phones the clinic nurse because she is concerned about her 3-month-old's stools. Which statement indicates a possible problem?
"The stools are foamy and smell terrible." Stools from a breastfeeding infant are different than from a formula fed infant. The infant stools more frequently, the contents are yellow seedy There is little or no odor to the stool. Foamy or foul smelling stools may indicate a digestive problem or illness. The health care provider or nurse practitioner should be contacted. All the other statements describe normal stooling.
The father of a 6-week-old infant voices concerns about his son's stooling. He further shares that his son grunts and cries when having a bowel movement. What response by the nurse is most appropriate?
"What does his stool look like?" Grunting, crying and straining during bowel movements by infants and newborns is normal. This is due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal system. The most important thing to do initially is to determine the appearance of the stool. The grunts and cries are not of concern unless the stool is dry and hard, so asking about the characteristics is the initial response. Simply indicating this is normal without having additional information is not the appropriate response. There is no need for a stool specimen based upon the infomation provided.
A mother asks the nurse where the microwave is so that she can warm up breastmilk to feed her baby. What is the best response by the nurse?
"You should warm the milk under warm water instead." A microwave can heat unevenly and cause burns and therefore should never be used to heat breastmilk or formula for an infant. In addition, it can change the immune properties of the breastmilk.
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." At the time of birth an infant's stomach can only hold 1/2 to 1 ounce. This will gradually increase. While it is true that the infant does not eat much this does not meet the educational needs of the mother and is not the best response. Burping is a part of normal newborn feeding practices but is not the best response. There is no indication there is a milk intolerance from the information reported.
The mother of a 3-month-old is concerned because her daughter does not yet sit by herself. Which statement best reflects average sitting ability?
Most babies do not sit steadily until 8 months; she is normal. Many infants sit steadily by 8 months of age.
A nurse is educating a client being discharged with her newborn baby. What is the highest priority item that must be included in the teaching plan?
Restrain the baby in a car seat. The client should restrain the baby in a car seat when driving. Infants are especially vulnerable to injuries resulting from falls from changing tables or being unrestrained in automobiles. Locking the cabinets and giving warm bottles of formula to the baby are secondary teachings.
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. If the parents are keeping the child up until she falls asleep, they are not creating a bedtime routine for her. Infants need a transition to sleep at this age. If the parents are singing to her before she goes to bed, if she has a regular, scheduled bedtime, and if they check on her safety when she wakes at night, then lie her down and leave, they are using good sleep practices.
The nurse is assessing an 6-month-old infant at a well-baby visit and is answering questions from the new mother. Which response should the nurse prioritize when addressing the mother's question concerning what the infant should be learning at this point in life?
Trust Erikson identifies various developmental stages which all children accomplish as they grow and develop into adults. The primary psychosocial developmental task for the infant is learning to trust. This task creates the foundation for the developmental tasks of the next stages of the child's life. If the infant does not receive food, love, attention, and comfort, the infant learns to mistrust the environment and those who are responsible for caring for the child. Learning to feel anger, love, and fear come at later times in development.
The best way for an infant's father to help his child complete the developmental task of the first year is to:
respond to her consistently. A sense of trust is difficult to learn if things are constantly changing. Consistently responding to an infant's needs helps to build a sense of trust.
The nurse is educating the mother of a newborn about feeding practices. The nurse correctly advises the mother that:
the newborn's stomach can hold between one-half and 1 ounce. The capacity of the normal newborn's stomach is between one-half and one ounce. The recommended feeding plan is to use a demand schedule. Newborns may eat as often as 1.5 to 3 hours. Demand scheduled feedings are not associated with problems sleeping at night.
The infant weighs 6 lb 8 oz (2,912 g) at birth. If the infant is following a normal pattern of growth, what would be an expected weight for this child at the age of 4 months?
13 lb (5.9 kg) Most infants double their birth weight by 4 months of age and triple their birth weight by the time they are 1 year old.
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) By 1 year of age, the infant has tripled his or her birth weight and has grown 10 to 12 inches.
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 lower central incisors are usually the first to appear, followed by the upper central incisors.
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 should choose this response because no solid foods are recommended for infants until 3 months of age. The age of 4 to 6 months is the age recommended to introduce solid foods. The other responses are the incorrect age or are letting the parent decide the appropriate answer.
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 rice cereal should be first. The infant should be monitored for food allergies by following the rice cereal with oats, barley, and wheat. Wheat has the highest allergy reaction in infants.
A newborn infant requires skin care that includes bathing. Besides hygiene, what is another reason for bathing an infant?
Bathing is a time for bonding with the parents. The parents can use bath time for bonding with their infant. This can be done with talking, cooing, and singing. Bath time should be slow-paced and nonstressful.
Which milestone would you expect an infant to accomplish by 8 months of age?
Sitting without support Most babies sit steadily at 8 months, creep at 9 months, and pull to standing at 10 months.
Anticipatory guidance for an infant for the 4th month should include the fact that she probably will:
be able to turn over onto the back. Infants typically turn over front to back at 4 months, enlarging the area of the house that needs to be childproofed.
A new mother, when asked by a nurse, explains that her 4-month-old infant has been nursing regularly every 3 to 4 hours and seems satisfied. However, the mother recently introduced solid food in the form of unbuttered popcorn to the baby as a supplement, to "get her used to eating solid food." She felt that the popcorn would be safe because it is soft on the baby's gums. What should be the primary nursing diagnosis in this situation?
Risk for aspiration related to feeding the infant an inappropriate food Children under about 5 years should not be offered popcorn or peanuts because of the danger of aspiration. This should be the primary nursing diagnosis because aspiration is the greatest danger to the infant in this scenario. Because the infant is receiving all the nutrition she needs from breastfeeding and because unbuttered popcorn is not a high-calorie food, imbalanced nutrition is not really a concern here. There is not a strong indication at this point that the infant is ready for enhanced nutrition, as the breast milk provides all of the nutrients she needs and as she appears to be satisfied after her feedings.
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." When infants are born prematurely delays may be noted. When assessing the growth and development of a premature infant, use the infant's adjusted age to determine expected outcomes. To determine adjusted age, subtract the number of weeks that the infant was premature from the infant's chronological age. Plot growth parameters and assess developmental milestones based on adjusted age. Delays will not necessarily be resolved by the age of 6 months. While the mother should talk with the physician about concerns, this is not the best initial response by the nurse.
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 anterior fontanel traditionally closes between 12 and 18 months. In some infants this may close sooner. This does not indicate there is any abnormality in the development of the infant.
The nurse enters her client's room to find the new mom crying softly. The nurse asks what is wrong. The mom says, "I had my heart set on breast-feeding and now my baby has a cleft lip. My dreams of breast-feeding him are destroyed." What should the nurse tell her client about breast-feeding an infant with this diagnosis?
"You can still attempt breast-feeding; let me call a lactation consultant for you." The nurse should be therapeutic in her response and reassure the mother that breast-feeding may still be an option. Infants with cleft lips may still successfully breast-feed. The infant's feeding must be assessed, their weight monitored, and the feeding may be slower. The other responses are not therapeutic and supportive to the new mother.
What is the correct amount of wet diapers a mature infant should have each day?
An infant should have 6 to 8 wet diapers/day. Urination occurs in the first 24 hours of life. A normal amount of urine is 200 to 300 mL/day as the infant matures. This amount is equal to 6 to 8 wet diapers/day.
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 infant grows and develops skills more rapidly than he or she ever will again. The toddler insists he or she can do things one minute and then becomes dependent the next minute. The preschool age child soaks in information and asks "why" and "how" over and over. The school-age child has a longer attention span and can become absorbed in a craft or activity for several hours.
A 2-month-old boy has inconsolable crying, is gassy, and constantly draws his legs up. It has been determined that the boy has colic. What is the best intervention to treat colic?
He needs to try a different formula to assess for sensitivity. Colic peaks between 3 weeks and 6 months of age. Treatment is a restful, soothing environment. Changing an infant's formula or having a breastfeeding mom decrease her intake of gassy foods may alleviate the symptoms.
The nurse is providing helpful feeding tips to the mother of a 2-week-old boy. Which recommendations will best help the child feed effectively?
Maintain a feed-on-demand approach The best way to ensure effective feeding is by maintaining a feed-on-demand approach rather than a set schedule. Applying warm compresses to the breast helps engorgement. Encouraging the infant to latch on properly helps prevent sore nipples. Maintaining proper diet and fluid intake for the mother helps ensure an adequate milk supply.
The caregivers of an infant state that their child cries when her mother leaves for even a short amount of time. What might the nurse suggest as a way to console the infant and develop a sense of security when the child's primary caregiver is out of sight?
Play peek-a-boo with the child when happy. For the infant, self-assurance is necessary to confirm that objects and people do not cease to exist when out of sight. This is a learning experience on which the infant's entire attitude toward life depends. The ancient game of "peek-a-boo" is a universal example of this learning technique. It is also one of the joys of infancy as the child affirms the ability to control the disappearance and reappearance of self. In the same manner by which the infant affirms self-existence, she learns to confirm the existence of others, even when they are temporarily out of sight.
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 normal respiratory rate for a 1-month-old infant is 30 to 60 breaths per minute. By 1 year of age the rate will be 20 to 30 breaths per minute. The respiratory patterns of the 1-month-old infant are irregular. There may normally be periodic pauses in the rhythm.
A mother of a 9-month-old 18-pound (8.2 kg) infant asks the nurse about choosing the best car seat. What should the nurse recommend?
a rear-facing 5-point harness restraint An infant until 2 years of age should be in a rear-facing car seat. The 5-point harness seat is made for children up to 40 pounds (18 kilograms) and the booster seat for children from 40 to 80 pounds (18 to 36 kilograms).
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." The sugar from formula or sweetened juice coats the infant's teeth for long periods and causes erosion of the enamel on the deciduous teeth. While giving water in a bottle at bedtime is acceptable and a pacifier will satisfy the sucking need, the most appropriate response is to warn of possible enamel erosion. Giving a bottle at bedtime is not a factor that leads to obesity.
Stacy and Matt are searching for a day care provider for their infant son Max. At discharge the couple asks their maternity nurse what to look for when finding day care providers. What response should the nurse make?
"Go look at day cares and ask questions about licensure, nutrition, staff, and safety." The nurse discusses with the parents the importance of a safe, competent day care provider. The parents should ask questions about the administration and operations, staffing, cleanliness, safety, and food. This will ensure that they are comfortable in their choice. The other answers do not provide the parent with enough knowledge about the care provider.
After the nurse provides education to new parents about appropriate sleeping habits for infants, which statement by a parent would indicate to the nurse that teaching needs to reoccur?
"My husband gave the baby a special bear that I will place in the crib." The nurse should reinforce that stuffed animals, blankets, pillows, and soft mattresses are suffocation hazards for infants.
The nurse comes into an infant's room on the pediatric floor. The nurse wants to try to feed the infant for the first time since her surgery. How does the nurse know what infant state the child is in by what the mother says and that it is okay to try and feed the infant?
"She has been a chatterbox and smiles just like her brother." The best time to feed an infant is when the child is in the active alert state. This infant is talking and smiling, which shows she is calm and actively awake. In the active alert state the infant has normal respirations, limited movement, and eyes that are bright and shiny and attentive. The other choices put the infant in a crying state, quiet alert or deep sleep, or drowsing. These stages are not optimal for interacting with the child.
Which activity is most beneficial in the development of the newborn?
Being sung to by his mother Interaction between the newborn and his parents is the most beneficial activity. Later toys and music may have a good influence but initially the parental interaction is best.
An infant is breast-fed. When assessing her stools, which findings would be typical?
Breast-fed infants are less likely to be constipated than bottle-fed infants. The stools of breastfed infants tend to be yellow and looser than those of bottle-fed babies.
What information would you include when teaching the parents of an infant about colic?
Colic symptoms will probably fade at 3 months of age. Colic symptoms typically fade at 3 months of age, probably because children begin to maintain a more upright position at that time.
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 The nurse would advise the mother to watch for increased biting and sucking. Mild fever, vomiting, and diarrhea are signs of infection. The child would more likely seek out hard foods or objects to bite on.
The nurse is reveiwing the diet of an 8-month-old infant with the mother who reveals she has been using evaporated milk to make the formula. Which additional ingredient should the nurse ensure she is including in the formula?
Iron Infants who are fed home-prepared formulas (based on evaporated milk) need supplemental vitamin C and iron. Evaporated milk has adequate amounts of vitamin D, which is unaffected by heat used in the preparation of formula. Calcium and vitamin E would not be a concern in this infant's formula.
What feeding practice used by the parents of an 8-month-old should the nurse discourage?
Placing all liquids given the child in a "no spill" sippy cup No-spill sippy cups promote sucking rather than teach cup drinking. Reserve these for times when avoiding spills is a must. The other feeding practices are age appropriate and safe. Soft table and finger foods promote accepting new textures and self-feeding. Reoffering rejected food allows the child to accept it when ready. Including the infant at the family table provides for modeling of eating behaviors and socialization.
A father asks the nurse what symptoms he can expect with normal teething in his infant. What would the nurse tell him?
The child's gumline will be tender. Normal teething creates tender gumlines but does not include an elevated temperature or constipation.
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 Providing a safe environment, redirection away from undesirable behaviors, and saying "no" in appropriate instances are effective forms of discipline for an infant's developmental level. Infants are at an increased risk for injury from spanking and do not understand the reason for the spanking. Infants do not understand time-outs or the reason for this type of discipline.
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. Looking for the toy where it was last seen indicates object permanence. The infant knows the object still exists even though she cannot see it. All the rest of the infant's behaviors show use of her senses and motor activity but do not illustrate object permanence.
The nurse conducting a 6-month well-baby check-up assesses for the presence/absence of the asymmetric tonic neck reflex. At this age the reflex:
should have disappeared. This primitive (not protective) reflex should be present at birth and disappear around age 4 months.
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 anterior fontanel most often closes between 12 and 18 months of age. It may normally close as early as 9 months of age. The closure of the fontanel at 10 months of age, while somewhat early, does not signal any health issues for the infant.
The nurse is assessing an infant at the 6-month well-baby check-up. The nurse notes that at birth the baby weighed 8 lb (3.6 kg) and was 20 in (50.8 cm) in length. Which finding is most consistent with the normal infant growth and development?
The baby weighs 16 lb (7.3 kg) and is 26 in (66.0 cm) in length. The average infant's weight doubles at 6 months and will triple at 1 year of life. The infant's length will increase by 50% by the first year.
A 5-month-old infant being assessed was born at 32 weeks. The nurse doing the well-child check-up should compare the baby to what norms?
The development of a 3-month-old The infant was born 8 weeks early. Two months are subtracted from the present age of 5 months. Both growth and development should be assessed using 3-month norms.
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. When assessing the growth and development of a premature infant, the nurse will use the infant's adjusted age to determine expected outcomes. To determine adjusted age, the nurse subtracts the number of weeks that the infant was premature from the infant's chronological age. The infant who was born at 32 weeks' gestation was 8 weeks or 2 months premature. To determine the adjusted age, the nurse subtracts 2 months from the chronological age of 8 months: 6 months.
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 By the third month of life, a child enters a cognitive stage identified by Piaget as primary circular reaction. During this time, the infant explores objects by grasping them with the hands or by mouthing them. Infants appear to be unaware of what actions they can cause or what actions occur independently, however. At about 6 months of age infants pass into a stage Piaget called secondary circular reaction. Now when infants reach for an object, hit it, and watch it move, they realize it was their hand that initiated the motion, and so they hit it again. By 10 months, infants discover object permanence. Infants are ready for peek-a-boo once they have gained this concept. They know their parent still exists even when hiding behind a hand or blanket and wait excitedly for the parent to reappear. Binocular vision, which is the ability to fuse two images into one, is demonstrated by 2-month-olds when the follow moving objects with their eyes, although not past the midline.
Which developmental milestone would the nurse expect an 11-month-old infant to have achieved?
Sitting independently Infants typically sit independently, without support, by age 8 months. Walking independently may be accomplished as late as age 15 months and still be within the normal range. Few infants walk independently by age 11 months. Building a tower of three or four blocks is a milestone of an 18-month-old. Turning a doorknob is a milestone of a 24-month-old.
