A nurse is discussing risks for infection with the parent of an infant. Which of the following should the nurse include?

Choice A reason: Cerebral palsy results from brain injury, often perinatally, affecting movement and posture, not from neural tube closure failure. It involves motor cortex damage, not structural defects of the neural tube, which forms early in embryonic development, making it unrelated to neural tube defects.

Choice B reason: Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder causing progressive muscle degeneration, not a neural tube defect. It affects muscle fibers, not the embryonic neural tube, which forms the brain and spinal cord, distinguishing it from conditions like spina bifida.

Choice C reason: Spina bifida is a neural tube defect where the embryonic neural tube fails to close, causing spinal cord and vertebral defects. This congenital malformation can lead to neurological impairments, like paralysis, due to exposed or malformed spinal structures, a hallmark of neural tube defects.

Choice D reason: Hydrocephalus involves cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the brain, often secondary to other conditions, but is not a primary neural tube defect. It results from impaired fluid dynamics, not failure of neural tube closure, distinguishing it from spina bifida’s embryonic origin.

Choice A reason: Tremors are not a typical manifestation of Cushing’s syndrome, which results from excess cortisol. Tremors are more associated with hyperthyroidism or neurological disorders, not cortisol-induced metabolic changes, making this an incorrect symptom for this condition.

Choice B reason: Purple striations occur in Cushing’s syndrome due to excess cortisol weakening connective tissue, causing skin thinning and fragile blood vessels. This leads to characteristic purple stretch marks, particularly on the abdomen, a hallmark of chronic hypercortisolism.

Choice C reason: Buffalo hump, a fat pad on the upper back, is a classic sign of Cushing’s syndrome. Excess cortisol causes abnormal fat distribution, depositing adipose tissue in specific areas, altering body shape, and reflecting the metabolic impact of hypercortisolism.

Choice D reason: Hypertension in Cushing’s syndrome results from cortisol’s mineralocorticoid effects, increasing sodium retention and blood volume. This elevates blood pressure, a common cardiovascular manifestation, contributing to the increased risk of heart disease in patients with chronic cortisol excess.

Choice E reason: Moon face, a rounded facial appearance, is caused by cortisol-induced fat redistribution in Cushing’s syndrome. Excess cortisol deposits fat in the cheeks and temporal areas, altering facial contours, a distinctive sign of this endocrine disorder in affected individuals.