A new mother states that her infant must be cold because the baby's hands and feet are blue.
The nurse explains that this is a common and temporary condition called:

Choice A rationale

Diaphragmatic breathing is the predominant pattern, but chest retraction is an abnormal finding, signifying increased respiratory effort or distress, often due to decreased lung compliance or airway obstruction, and is not a characteristic of a normal, healthy full-term newborn's breathing. Normal respiratory rate is 30-60 breaths/minute.

Choice B rationale

Newborn breathing is often characterized by periodic (irregular) breathing, including short pauses (apnea) of less than 15 seconds, making a consistently regular rhythm an inaccurate description. Deep breathing is also not the usual description; respirations are typically shallow and relatively even.

Choice C rationale

Nasal flaring is a sign of respiratory distress, indicating the newborn is using accessory muscles to decrease airway resistance and is not a normal observation in a healthy newborn. Normal breathing relies mainly on the diaphragm, with chest movement being secondary and synchronous.

Choice D rationale

A full-term newborn typically breathes using their diaphragm and abdominal muscles, resulting in observable abdominal movement. The chest walls are flexible, causing synchronous or passive movements with the abdominal effort, which defines the normal and predominant breathing pattern. —.

Choice A rationale

While the take-home packet provides essential reinforcement and reference materials, it is a component of the larger discharge planning process. Effective patient education, which starts earlier, must be interactive, individualized, and assessed for comprehension, which is often not fully accomplished solely by giving a packet. The process must be continuous and based on the woman's learning readiness.

Choice B rationale

The physician's visit contributes to the overall care and may include teaching specific to the woman's or newborn's medical status, but it is not the official starting point for the comprehensive, ongoing process of teaching self-care and newborn care which spans the entire hospital stay.

Choice C rationale

Presenting the infant initiates the bonding process and immediate hands-on care, but it is too early to begin formal, structured discharge teaching regarding ongoing self-care, warning signs, and prolonged infant care. The mother is focused on the immediate experience and recovery at this point.

Choice D rationale

Discharge teaching is a continuous, integrated process, not a one-time event, and should ideally begin when the patient is admitted to the nursing unit. This early start allows the nurse to assess learning needs, readiness, and baseline knowledge, integrating education throughout the stay for reinforcement and optimal retention. —.