A nurse is reinforcing teaching with the mother of a newborn who is small for gestational age. Which of the following should the nurse include as a cause of this condition?

Choice A reason:

Transferring the newborn to the NICU is not the best action to take next, because it does not address the immediate problem of low blood sugar. The newborn may need to be transferred to the NICU later, depending on the cause and severity of the hypoglycemia, but the first priority is to raise the blood glucose level.

Choice B reason:

Calling the lab for a STAT blood glucose level is not the best action to take next, because it will delay the treatment of hypoglycemia. The glucometer reading is a reliable indicator of low blood sugar, and waiting for a lab confirmation will waste valuable time. The nurse should act on the glucometer reading and initiate treatment as soon as possible.

Choice C reason:

Initiating breastfeeding is the best action to take next, because it will provide the newborn with a source of glucose that can raise the blood sugar level quickly. Breastfeeding also has other benefits for the newborn, such as promoting bonding, providing antibodies, and reducing the risk of infection. Breastfeeding should be initiated within the first hour of life for all newborns, unless contraindicated.

Choice D reason:

Recognizing this as a normal reading and documenting it is not the best action to take next, because it is not a normal reading for a 2 hour old newborn. The normal range of blood glucose for a newborn is 40 to 150 mg/dL. A reading of 32 mg/dL indicates hypoglycemia, which can have serious consequences for the newborn's brain development and function. Hypoglycemia should be treated promptly and documented accordingly.

Choice A reason:

This is a normal WBC for a newborn. According to MedlinePlus, the normal amount of white blood cells (WBCs) found in the bloodstream of a newborn infant is between 4,500 and 10,000 per microliter of blood. The reference ranges for WBC count established by Mayo Medical Laboratories for infants from birth to 2 years are as follows:.

• Birth: 9.0 to 30.0 x 10 9 /L.

• 1 to 7 days: 9.4 to 34.0 x 10 9 /L.

• 8 to 14 days: 5.0 to 21.0 x 10 9 /L.

• 15 days to 1 month: 5.0 to 20.0 x 10 9 /L.

• 2 to 5 months: 5.0 to 15.0 x 10 9 /L. Therefore, a newborn's WBC of 15,000 is within the normal range and does not indicate any problem.

Choice B reason:

You must call the doctor. This is not a correct answer because there is no need to call the doctor for a normal WBC in a newborn. Calling the doctor unnecessarily may cause anxiety and a waste of time and resources.

Choice C reason:

This indicates a severe infection. This is not a correct answer because a WBC of 15,000 does not necessarily indicate a severe infection in a newborn. A high WBC, also called leukocytosis, may be related to infection, but it can also be caused by other factors such as stress, inflammation, trauma, medication, or blood disorders. Moreover, the type and severity of infection can be better assessed by looking at the differential count of the different types of white blood cells (neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes) and other signs and symptoms.

Choice D reason:

This is a lab error. This is not a correct answer because a WBC of 15,000 is not likely to be a lab error in a newborn. Lab errors can occur due to improper collection, handling, or analysis of blood samples, but they are rare and usually detected by quality control measures. A WBC of 15,000 is within the normal range for a newborn and does not require repeating the test unless there is a strong suspicion of an error or an inconsistency with other results or clinical findings.