A nurse is reinforcing teaching with the guardian of a newborn about measures that can be taken to minimize the risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUID). Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Rationale:

A. Dress the newborn in a warm gown when placing them next to the parent's skin: Skin-to-skin contact, not clothing layers, is the priority for thermoregulation in the first hours after birth. A warm gown may interfere with skin contact and reduce the effectiveness of heat transfer from parent to newborn.

B. Delay the newborn's feedings until their temperature is stabilized: Early feeding is encouraged for newborns to promote bonding, glucose stabilization, and warmth. Feeding should not be delayed, as it can help the baby generate heat through metabolism.

C. Postpone the newborn's initial bath: A newborn’s bath should be delayed until their temperature is stable to prevent further heat loss. Bathing can cause evaporation-related cooling, which may worsen mild hypothermia in a newborn during the early hours of life.

D. Place the swaddled newborn under a radiant warmer: Swaddling under a radiant warmer interferes with direct heat transfer. The newborn should be unclothed (except for a diaper) under the warmer to ensure effective warming through radiation.

Rationale:

A. A client who has a firm fundus following a vaginal birth and reports continuous perineal pain of 8 on a scale of 0 to 10: Although the fundus is firm, severe continuous perineal pain may indicate complications such as hematoma or infection, requiring immediate assessment and intervention to prevent worsening condition.

B. A client who is 30 hr postpartum and reports feeling tearful and overwhelmed: Postpartum emotional lability is common in this timeframe and generally not an immediate safety concern. The nurse should provide support but this client’s condition is not urgent.

C. A client who is 12 hr postpartum and reports having to urinate frequently: Frequent urination postpartum may be due to diuresis or normal bladder function return and is not typically urgent unless accompanied by other signs of infection or retention.

D. A client who had a cesarean birth yesterday and reports burning incision pain of 5 on a scale of 0 to 10: Moderate incision pain is expected after surgery and can be managed with analgesics; it does not require immediate intervention compared to potential perineal complications.