After the birth of a newborn, which action would the nurse do first to assist in thermoregulation?
Wrap the newborn in a blanket.
Put a hat on the newborn's head.
Check the newborn's temperature.
Dry the newborn thoroughly.
The Correct Answer is D
A. Wrap the newborn in a blanket helps maintain body heat after the initial drying and stimulation but is not the first priority in thermoregulation.
B. Put a hat on the newborn's head also helps prevent heat loss, particularly from the head, which is a major site of heat loss in newborns. However, this should be done after drying to avoid trapping moisture.
C. Check the newborn's temperature is important but should be done after immediate measures to prevent heat loss have been taken.
D. Dry the newborn thoroughly is the first and most critical step in preventing evaporative heat loss, which is the primary cause of newborn heat loss immediately after birth. Removing wet amniotic fluid from the skin helps stabilize temperature effectively.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Convection is the loss of heat due to air or fluid movement around the body. While keeping the newborn warm in a draft-free area can help with this, the blanket on the scale primarily addresses heat loss through contact with the cold surface.
B. Conduction occurs when heat is transferred from the baby’s body to a cooler surface that it comes into direct contact with, like the cold scale. By placing a warmed blanket on the scale, the nurse minimizes heat loss due to conduction, ensuring the baby stays warm.
C. Radiation involves heat transfer to cooler objects nearby, but a warmed blanket on the scale does not directly address heat loss through radiation.
D. Evaporation occurs when moisture on the skin evaporates, taking heat away. A warmed blanket would not primarily address evaporation; it’s meant to prevent conduction heat loss.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Evidence that the newborn is becoming chilled would typically include signs such as cool skin, mottling, or acrocyanosis ,not active behaviors like head movement and eye contact.
B. A good time to initiate breast-feeding is correct. The described behaviors ,eye contact, head movement, and tongue thrusting, are characteristic of the first period of reactivity, which occurs within the first 30 minutes after birth. During this time, the newborn is alert, responsive, and exhibits strong rooting and sucking reflexes, making it an ideal window to begin breastfeeding.
C. The period of decreased responsiveness preceding sleep typically occurs after the first period of reactivity and is marked by reduced activity and interest in feeding, not alert behaviors.
D. A sign that the infant is being overstimulated would usually involve signs like gaze aversion, hiccupping, or flailing ,not purposeful movements or eye contact.
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