Pediatric Nurse Neonatal and Newborn Care Flashcards
6 cards from real Pediatric Nurse Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Pediatric Nurse Neonatal and Newborn Care flashcards as text
A premature infant born at 32 weeks gestation is at greatest risk for which condition?
Answer: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
RDS is the most common serious complication in premature infants due to insufficient surfactant production before 34–36 weeks gestation.
What is the primary purpose of administering exogenous surfactant to a premature neonate?
Answer: Reduce alveolar surface tension to prevent collapse
Exogenous surfactant reduces surface tension within the alveoli, preventing atelectasis in premature lungs that cannot produce adequate natural surfactant.
Transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN) is most commonly associated with which delivery method?
Answer: Cesarean section without labor
TTN results from retained fetal lung fluid, occurring most often after cesarean birth because the thoracic compression of vaginal delivery that clears lung fluid is absent.
Which finding is considered a normal expected variation during a newborn physical assessment?
Answer: Physiological weight loss of 5–10% in the first week of life
A 5–10% weight loss in the first week is normal due to fluid shifts and is regained by 10–14 days of life.
A neonate is receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for RDS. Which assessment finding requires immediate intervention?
Answer: Abdominal distension with decreased bowel sounds
Abdominal distension with decreased bowel sounds during CPAP may indicate necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) or bowel perforation requiring urgent evaluation.
A nurse is assessing a newborn for gestational age using the Ballard score. Which physical finding would suggest a post-term infant?
Answer: Absent lanugo, leathery skin, and long nails
Post-term infants show signs of skin maturity including loss of lanugo, dry or peeling leathery skin, and long nails due to prolonged gestation.
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