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Complications
Complications ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is providing education to a pregnant client with gestational diabetes.
The nurse explains that if the baby develops low blood sugar after birth due to excess insulin production, it can lead to which of the following complications if left untreated?
Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a condition where the baby has difficulty breathing due to immature lungs and lack of surfactant.RDS is more common in preterm babies and babies of diabetic mothers, but it is not caused by low blood sugar.
Jaundice is a condition where the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow due to excess bilirubin in the blood.
Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown.If the baby develops low blood sugar after birth due to excess insulin production, it can lead to increased red blood cell breakdown and jaundice.
Preterm birth is a birth that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation.Preterm birth can be caused by many factors, such as infection, placental abruption, or multiple gestation, but it is not a complication of low blood sugar after birth.
Preeclampsia is a condition where the mother develops high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation.Preeclampsia can affect the placenta and the baby’s growth, but it is not a complication of low blood sugar after birth.
The correct answer is choice B. Jaundice.
Jaundice is a condition where the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow due to excess bilirubin in the blood.
Bilirubin is a byproduct of red blood cell breakdown. If the baby develops low blood sugar after birth due to excess insulin production, it can lead to increased red blood cell breakdown and jaundice.
Choice A is wrong because respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a condition where the baby has difficulty breathing due to immature lungs and lack of surfactant. RDS is more common in preterm babies and babies of diabetic mothers, but it is not caused by low blood sugar.
Choice C is wrong because preterm birth is a birth that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation. Preterm birth can be caused by many factors, such as infection, placental abruption, or multiple gestation, but it is not a complication of low blood sugar after birth.
Choice D is wrong because preeclampsia is a condition where the mother develops high blood pressure and proteinuria after 20 weeks of gestation. Preeclampsia can affect the placenta and the baby’s growth, but it is not a complication of low blood sugar after birth.
Normal ranges for blood sugar in newborns are 40 to 80 mg/dL (2.2 to 4.4 mmol/L). Normal ranges for bilirubin in newborns are 1 to 12 mg/dL (17 to 205 µmol/L).