When planning the care for a laboring woman whose membranes have ruptured, the nurse recognizes that the woman’s risk for has increased.

Choice A rationale
Meconium is produced by the fetal intestines. The intestines start to form meconium around the 16th week of gestation. Meconium is composed of shed cells, mucus, amniotic fluid, bile, and lanugo.
Choice B rationale
The placenta does not produce meconium. Its primary functions include nutrient transfer, gas exchange, and waste elimination, but it does not have the structures necessary for the production of meconium.
Choice C rationale
Amniotic fluid does not produce meconium. Amniotic fluid surrounds and protects the fetus but does not contain the components needed to create meconium. Instead, the fetus swallows and then excretes it into the intestines.
Choice D rationale
Fetal kidneys are responsible for filtering waste and producing urine, but they do not produce meconium. The production of meconium is a function of the intestines, not the kidneys.

Choice A rationale
Valsalva maneuver involves forced expiration against a closed airway, increasing intrathoracic pressure and used to aid in expelling the fetus during labor.
Choice B rationale
Ferguson’s reflex involves the release of oxytocin due to vaginal and cervical stretching, resulting in stronger contractions during the second stage of labor.
Choice C rationale
Lightening refers to the descent of the fetus into the pelvis before labor, relieving pressure on the diaphragm and easing breathing.
Choice D rationale
Molding is the slight overlapping of cranial bones, allowing the fetal head to shape and fit through the birth canal during labor.