Maternal-Newborn Nursing Flashcards

A nurse assesses a newborn's skin and finds a yellowish discoloration at 12 hours of age. This is best described as:

Answer: Pathologic jaundice, which requires evaluation

Jaundice appearing within the first 24 hours of life is pathologic, not physiologic, and requires immediate evaluation for hemolytic disease.

Which finding in a patient at 34 weeks gestation is consistent with preterm labor?

Answer: Regular contractions every 5 minutes with cervical dilation

Regular contractions with documented cervical change before 37 weeks defines preterm labor.

A nurse is teaching a new mother about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prevention. Which instruction is most important?

Answer: Always place the infant supine (on back) to sleep

The 'Back to Sleep' campaign recommends placing infants on their backs on a firm surface to reduce SIDS risk.

Postpartum depression differs from 'baby blues' in that it:

Answer: Persists beyond 2 weeks and requires treatment

PPD persists beyond 2 weeks postpartum and often requires pharmacologic and/or psychological treatment, unlike transient baby blues.

A newborn's blood glucose is 38 mg/dL at 2 hours of age. What is the priority nursing action?

Answer: Offer early breastfeeding or formula feeding

For asymptomatic neonatal hypoglycemia, the first intervention is early feeding (breast or formula) to raise blood glucose.

Which maternal condition places the newborn at highest risk for hypoglycemia immediately after birth?

Answer: Poorly controlled gestational diabetes

Infants of diabetic mothers have high insulin levels at birth due to chronic maternal hyperglycemia, leading to hypoglycemia when the glucose source is cut off.