A nurse is discussing growth with the parents of a 6-month-old infant who weighed 7 lbs at birth. Which statement best reflects the expected weight at this age?

A. Estrogen is incorrect because, while estrogen promotes uterine growth, blood flow, and development of the mammary glands, it does not primarily maintain the uterine lining or prevent contractions. Estrogen actually increases toward the end of pregnancy and can help sensitize the uterus to oxytocin, promoting labor.

B. Progesterone is correct because it maintains the endometrial lining, supporting implantation and early fetal development, and inhibits uterine contractions throughout pregnancy. By relaxing smooth muscle in the uterus, progesterone helps prevent premature labor and miscarriage. Its levels remain high during most of pregnancy and decrease near term to allow labor to begin.

C. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is incorrect because hCG’s primary role is to signal the corpus luteum to continue producing progesterone during early pregnancy. While essential in the first trimester, it does not directly maintain the uterine lining or prevent contractions throughout pregnancy.

D. Relaxin is incorrect because relaxin primarily relaxes the ligaments of the pelvis and softens the cervix to prepare for labor. It does not maintain the endometrium or inhibit uterine contractions.

A. CF causes thickened mucus that obstructs the pancreas, preventing the release of digestive enzymes is correct because cystic fibrosis leads to thick, sticky secretions that block pancreatic ducts. This prevents digestive enzymes from reaching the small intestine, resulting in malabsorption of fats, proteins, and fat-soluble vitamins, which causes poor weight gain and steatorrhea (fatty stools).

B. Children with CF have an overproduction of digestive enzymes, leading to malabsorption is incorrect because the problem in CF is insufficient delivery of enzymes to the intestine, not overproduction.

C. Digestive enzymes are needed to break down fat, which children with CF can digest more efficiently than carbohydrates is incorrect because children with CF have difficulty digesting fats due to lack of pancreatic enzymes. They do not digest fat more efficiently; instead, fat malabsorption is a hallmark of the disease.

D. Pancreatic enzyme replacement is only required when children develop diabetes, a common complication of CF is incorrect because PERT is required due to exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, not diabetes. Diabetes in CF results from endocrine pancreatic dysfunction and is unrelated to the need for digestive enzymes.