A nurse in a prenatal clinic is conducting a skin assessment of a patient in her second trimester.
Which findings should the nurse anticipate? (Select all that apply.)

The correct answer is choice a. Excessive uterine enlargement.

Choice A rationale:

Hydatidiform mole, also known as a molar pregnancy, often presents with excessive uterine enlargement. This is due to the abnormal growth of trophoblastic tissue, which can cause the uterus to be larger than expected for gestational age.

Choice B rationale:

An irregular fetal heart rate is not typically associated with a hydatidiform mole because there is usually no viable fetus present in this condition.

Choice C rationale:

A rapid decline in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels is not expected. Instead, hCG levels are usually abnormally high due to the trophoblastic tissue proliferation.

Choice D rationale:

Profuse, clear vaginal discharge is not a characteristic finding of a hydatidiform mole. Instead, vaginal bleeding or discharge that may be brownish and resemble prune juice is more common.

Choice A rationale

The maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein test is a part of what’s often called the “triple screen” that can assess whether a pregnant woman may be at increased risk of carrying a baby with certain disorders, such as neural tube defects (spinal defects) or Down syndrome.

Choice B rationale

While the test can provide information about the risk of certain birth defects, it does not assess various markers of fetal well-being.

Choice C rationale

The test does not identify an Rh incompatibility between the mother and fetus. That would be determined through separate blood tests.

Choice D rationale

The test does not assess fetal lung maturity. Other tests, such as amniocentesis, can provide this information.