A nurse is teaching the guardian of a 1-month-old infant about infant safety. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching?

A. Palms of the hands. In clients with dark skin, assessing for cyanosis is best done in areas where skin is lighter and blood vessels are more visible, such as the palms, soles, lips, mucous membranes, and conjunctiva. These sites provide clearer visual cues of decreased oxygenation.
B. Area of trauma. This area may show signs of bruising or inflammation, but it is not ideal for assessing cyanosis. Local changes in color may be due to injury, not systemic oxygenation.
C. Sacrum. The sacrum is typically assessed for pressure injuries, not for cyanosis. Its location and frequent pressure make it a less reliable site for detecting systemic color changes.
D. Shoulders. The shoulders are not reliable sites for detecting cyanosis, especially in individuals with darker skin, as color changes may be less apparent in more heavily pigmented or sun-exposed areas.

A. Place a small, folded blanket behind the baby's neck to provide support while in the car seat. Adding extra padding behind the infant’s neck is not recommended, as it can alter the positioning and compromise the safety design of the car seat. Only manufacturer-approved inserts should be used.
B. Anchor the car seat in a rear-facing position in the back seat of the vehicle. Infants under the age of 2 should always be placed in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat. This position offers the best protection for the infant’s head, neck, and spine in the event of a crash.
C. Ensure the water heater temperature is set to no more than 54° C (129.2° F). This temperature is too high and increases the risk of scalding. The recommended maximum temperature for a household water heater is 49° C (120° F) to ensure infant safety.
D. Cover the baby with a cotton blanket when they are asleep. Using loose bedding, including blankets, increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Instead, the infant should sleep in a wearable blanket or sleep sack on a firm mattress without soft items.