A nurse is providing care for a patient who the healthcare provider suspects may have pernicious anemia.
Which diagnostic test should the nurse anticipate the healthcare provider will order?

Choice A rationale

Magnesium sulfate is used in preterm labor to suppress contractions and delay the birth of a preterm baby. It works by lowering the amount of calcium in the uterine muscles, which in turn encourages muscle relaxation. This effect can help slow or inhibit contractions, allowing more time for the administration of corticosteroids before birth. Corticosteroids can improve a baby’s lung function and reduce the risk of dying by 40 percent if given within 48 hours. Therefore, magnesium sulfate is used to stop preterm labor contractions.

Choice B rationale

Magnesium sulfate does not directly increase the fetal heart rate. Its primary role in the context of preterm labor is to inhibit contractions.

Choice C rationale

While magnesium sulfate is used in the context of preterm labor, it does not directly promote fetal lung maturity. However, by delaying delivery, it allows more time for the administration of corticosteroids, which can enhance the baby’s lung function.

Choice D rationale

While magnesium sulfate can have a muscle-relaxing effect, its primary use in the context of preterm labor is not to promote relaxation or alleviate anxiety in the mother. Its main role is to inhibit uterine contractions.

Choice A rationale

Strabismus, or crossed eyes, is a condition that typically requires treatment and is not normal in newborns. It involves a lack of coordination between the muscles that control eye movement, causing the eyes to point in different directions.

Choice B rationale

While it’s important to report concerns to the primary care provider, this statement does not directly address the mother’s concern about her newborn’s crossed eyes.

Choice C rationale

Taking the baby to the nursery for further examination may be necessary in some cases, but it does not provide the mother with immediate reassurance or information about her newborn’s condition.

Choice D rationale

Newborns often lack the muscle control necessary to regulate eye movement, which can cause their eyes to cross. This is a normal part of development and typically resolves on its own within the first few months of life.