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Growth And Development In Infants > Child Health

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Total Questions : 5

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Question 1:

The father of a 2-month-old girl is expressing concern that his infant may be getting spoiled. The nurse’s best response is:

A. “She just needs love and attention. Don’t worry; she’s too young to spoil.” B. “Consistently meeting the infant’s needs helps promote a sense of trust.” C. “Infants need to be fed and cleaned; if you’re sure those needs are met, just let her cry.” D. “Consistency in meeting needs is important, but you’re right, holding her too much will spoil her.”

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

“She just needs love and attention. Don’t worry; she’s too young to spoil.” This is partially correct, but lacks developmental context. While it affirms the infant can't be spoiled, it doesn’t explain the importance of consistent caregiving in promoting trust and security.

Choice B:

According to Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the stage for infants is trust vs. mistrust. When caregivers consistently meet an infant's physical and emotional needs, the child learns the world is safe and predictable, forming the basis for future secure relationships and emotional regulation. Meeting needs such as feeding, comfort, and holding does not spoil an infant.Rationale for incorrect answers:

Choice C:

“Infants need to be fed and cleaned; if you’re sure those needs are met, just let her cry.” Ignoring cries, even when physical needs are met, can cause distress and erode trust. Crying is an infant’s only communication tool. Emotional comfort is a legitimate need, and withholding it can be harmful.

Choice D:

“Consistency in meeting needs is important, but you’re right, holding her too much will spoil her.” Infants cannot be spoiled by being held or comforted. This response reinforces harmful myths and undermines appropriate bonding and attachment behaviors.

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Question 2:

Various children are being seen in the clinic for well-baby checks. By what age should a nurse expect a child to begin to use simple words to communicate needs?

A. Age 10–12 months B. Age 1–2 years C. Age 6–9 months D. Age 2–3 years

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

By 10 to 12 months, most infants begin to say simple words like “mama” or “dada” with meaning. They also understand basic instructions like “no” or “bye-bye”, use gestures like pointing or waving, and attempt to imitate speech sounds. This stage marks the beginning of expressive language used to meet basic needs.Rationale for incorrect answers:

Choice B:

Age 1–2 years: While vocabulary expands rapidly during this stage (up to 50+ words), first simple words typically begin before 12 months, making this slightly late for the initiation of verbal communication.

Choice C:

Age 6–9 month: Infants this age begin babbling (e.g., “ba-ba,” “da-da”) but these are not yet meaningful words. Communication is mostly nonverbal (smiles, cries, gestures).

Choice D:

Age 2–3 years: By this age, children usually form two- to three-word sentences and have a vocabulary of several hundred words. This stage reflects complex communication, not the beginning of speech.

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Question 3:

A nurse in a clinic is assessing the weight of an infant. Which infant’s weight indicates to the nurse that the infant’s weight is normal for the infant’s age?

A. The baby’s weight has tripled in the first 6 months of life B. The baby’s weight has doubled in the first year of life C. The baby’s weight has doubled in the first 6 months of life and tripled in the first year D. The baby’s weight has doubled in the first 6 months and doubled again in the next 6 months

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Tripling weight in only 6 months suggests excessive weight gain, which may signal overnutrition or fluid retention, especially if not accompanied by proportional height/length growth.

Choice B:

Doubling by 12 months is below expected growth. This may indicate inadequate nutrition, feeding difficulties, or a medical concern such as malabsorption or chronic illness.

Choice C:

This reflects normal infant growth patterns. By 5–6 months, an infant's birth weight typically doubles. By 12 months, the weight typically triples. This pattern is a clinical benchmark for assessing healthy growth and nutritional adequacy in infancy.Rationale for incorrect answers:

Choice D:

The baby’s weight doubling in the first 6 months and doubling again in the next 6 months implies the weight is four times the birth weight by 12 months, which is excessive and could suggest overnutrition or metabolic issues if unaccompanied by proportionate linear growth.

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Question 4:

A student explains to an instructor that the infant period is categorized as the “oral phase” according to Freud’s theory. Which statements by the student suggest an understanding of this phase? Select all that apply

A. An infant sucks for nourishment as well as pleasure B. An infant does not find pleasure in sucking but does find enjoyment from the nourishment C. An infant may have more pleasure in breastfeeding than bottle feeding because it expends more energy D. An infant does not find pleasure in use of a pacifier E. An infant explores the world through the mouth F. An infant begins to explore the genital area to learn sexual identity

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Freud’s oral stage (birth to ~18 months) is centered around the mouth as the primary source of pleasure and interaction. Infants suck not only for nourishment but also for comfort and gratification. This is why they seek pacifiers, thumb-sucking, and frequent feeding, even when not hungry.

Choice B:

This contradicts Freud’s theory. Sucking is pleasurable even outside feeding, which is why pacifiers or thumb-sucking soothe infants.

Choice C:

While breastfeeding may foster bonding and skin-to-skin contact, Freud’s theory is not about energy expenditure. The source of pleasure is oral stimulation, not how much effort it takes.

Choice D:

According to Freud, pacifiers are a classic example of how infants seek oral gratification for pleasure beyond nutrition.

Choice E:

Mouthing is a major way infants explore their environment, helping them learn about texture, shape, and taste. This aligns with Freud’s belief that the mouth is the center of pleasure in this stage.Rationale for incorrect answers:

Choice F:

An infant beginning to explore the genital area to learn sexual identity is part of Freud’s phallic stage, which occurs around ages 3–6 years, not in infancy.

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Question 5:

An 8-month-old baby girl, who is developing appropriately, is admitted to a pediatric unit for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The baby is crying and being held by her mother. A nurse wants to provide appropriate care based on Erikson’s developmental stages. In which stage is this baby, according to Erikson’s theory?

A. Punishment versus obedience orientation B. Oral stage C. Initiative versus guilt D. Trust versus mistrust

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Punishment versus obedience orientation is not an Erikson stage; it's a concept from Kohlberg’s theory of moral development and applies to preschool and school-aged children, not infants.

Choice B:

Oral stage is part of Freud’s theory, not Erikson’s. While related to infancy, it is not the correct framework for answering a question on Erikson’s stages.

Choice C:

Initiative versus guilt stage occurs in preschool-aged children (around 3–6 years old). It focuses on exploring the environment, initiating activities, and developing purpose—not relevant for an 8-month-old.

Choice D:

According to Erikson’s psychosocial theory, the first stage, “Trust vs. Mistrust” occurs from birth to approximately 18 months. During this period, infants learn to trust their caregivers to meet basic needs such as feeding, comfort, and emotional security. A child like this 8-month-old, when sick and in a strange environment, relies even more heavily on a trusted caregiver (in this case, the mother) for comfort.Rationale for incorrect answers:

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