Newborn Nutrition Sherpath
Which infant actions are common cues indicating a readiness to feed?
- Sucking - Rooting - Mouthing - Hand-to-mouth movements
Which factors are likely to support breastfeeding as the family's feeding method choice?
- Support from family - Cultural practices - Health care provider knowledge
Which nursing subspecialties are primarily responsible for ensuring that the mother and infant are successful with breastfeeding?
- The labor and delivery nurse - The mother-baby nurse - The antenatal clinic nurse
Which education about positioning would the nurse provide to a family who will formula feed their newborn?
- Use the cradle position while feeding. - Keep face-to-face contact during feeding.
A patient with nipple soreness asks the mother-baby nurse what she can do to help alleviate the discomfort. Which solution would the nurse generate to help this patient?
"Some women find that lanolin cream is helpful for soreness. You apply the cream following a feed. You can also leave your nipples open to air when you're not feeding." Lanolin cream is an evidence-based remedy for sore nipples. Leaving the breasts open to air between feeds also has been shown to alleviate discomfort and promote nipple healing.
Which education would the nurse provide a mother who reports latch difficulty with breastfeeding?
"Wait until the mouth is open wide to insert the nipple into the newborn's mouth." The mother should be taught that if the mouth is not open wide before the nipple is inserted, it is more difficult for the newborn to get sufficient milk and can cause nipple pain.
A patient in the early postpartum period asks, "How do I know if my baby is getting enough breast milk? I don't feel anything there." What are the desirable outcomes?
- "A good way to tell if your baby is taking in enough breast milk is if you continue to see enough wet and soiled diapers." - "If your baby is gaining weight with each checkup at the pediatrician, it usually means your baby is getting enough breast milk." - "If your baby actively participates in a feeding, you can hear swallowing and your baby seems content in between feeding. These are all signs that your baby is satisfied with the quantity of breast milk your body is producing."
Which recommendations would the nurse make to the family whose newborn falls asleep after 2 to 3 minutes of breastfeeding?
- "The baby needs to be awakened, so unwrap the newborn and gently stroke his palms or soles." - "Change the newborn's diaper to wake your newborn up."
Which advantages are associated with human milk (expressed and/or donor milk) feeding?
- Improved infant immunity - Ability to track amount of milk consumed - Others able to feed infant
The nurse would anticipate ____ number of feedings for a 5-day-old breastfed baby to have in 24 hours.
8-12 Nurses need to understand typical feeding frequency and volume for breastfed infants. Breastfed infants would be fed approximately every 2-3 hours (8-12 feedings per 24 hours).
Match the nutrient to its description with respect to breast milk or formula.
Lactose is the primary source. - Carbohydrate It supplies 50% of calories, though highly variable across individuals. - Fat Whey and casein are primary sources. - Protein
Which type of commercial formula requires dilution with equal parts water?
Concentrate Concentrate formula requires dilution with equal parts of formula and water.
Which type of commercial infant formula is recommended for most infants?
Cow's milk-based formula Iron-fortified cow's milk-based formulas are recommended for the majority of infants who will receive commercial infant formula.
Which breastfeeding position would the nurse recommend for a mother with an abdominal incision?
Football The nurse would teach the mother that the football hold avoids pressure against an abdominal incision because the baby is held along the mother's side.
For which breastfeeding concern would the nurse teach families to seek medical attention?
Mastitis Mastitis requires antibiotics; therefore the nurse would teach the family to seek medical attention. The nurse would teach families about signs of mastitis, including pain, fever, and generalized malaise.
For which condition would the nurse teach the family that breastfeeding is contraindicated but feeding expressed breast milk is safe?
Mother with active tuberculosis While breastfeeding is contraindicated in mothers with active tuberculosis, expressed breast milk is considered safe. The nurse would teach this mother to feed her infant expressed breast milk.
Which patient condition is a common breastfeeding cue in the first 24 hours following delivery?
Nipple soreness Nipple soreness due to poor latch or positioning is one of the most common complaints of women who are breastfeeding in the first 24 hours following delivery.
The mother of a breastfed infant states that she is having pain when the infant latches. Which action would the nurse take next?
Observe a complete breastfeeding session to assess the latch and position of the infant. Nipple soreness is a common complaint in the hospital. It is important for the bedside nurse to observe a complete feeding to understand the cause of the soreness. Assisting with latching and positioning may help to alleviate discomfort.
Which action would the nurse take for a breastfeeding mother who is afebrile but reports erythema and tenderness over her right breast?
Teach breast massage technique. The patient's symptoms indicate a plugged mammary duct. The nurse would teach the mother to massage the breast to relieve pain and unplug the milk duct.
Which cue would the nurse explain is given by nonnutritive sucking during breastfeeding?
The breast is empty. The nurse would explain that nonnutritive sucking indicates the breast is empty. Families would be taught to remove the infant from the breast, burp, and consider switching to the other breast.
Match the phases of lactogenesis with the description of the type of milk produced during that phase.
Thick, yellow substance, high in protein, vitamins and minerals - Lactogenesis I Contains mix of colostrum and mature milk - Lactogenesis II 20 kcal/oz with nutrients sufficient to meet newborn's needs - Lactogenesis III
When teaching about infant feeding cues in the first days of life, which solution can the nurse consider to encourage the best time to initiate breastfeeding?
When the infant is in the quiet alert state During the quiet alert state, the newborn is observing the world, and the newborn is calm and relaxed. This is an optimal time to initiate a feeding.
In which way does breast milk composition vary from formula?
Whey-to-casein ratio is 70:30 Breast milk has a ratio of whey-to-casein of 70:30 whereas formula has a ratio of 80:20; the whey-to-casein ratio in breast milk leads to easier digestion and softer stools compared to formula.