PMC Infant Anatomy & Physiology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which fontanelle in a newborn typically closes last, around 18–24 months of age?
- Posterior fontanelle
- Anterior fontanelle (Correct answer)
- Mastoid fontanelle
- Sphenoidal fontanelle
Correct answer: Anterior fontanelle
The anterior (front) fontanelle is the largest and closes last, usually between 18 and 24 months.
Question 2: A newborn's skin is covered at birth by a waxy protective coating called:
- Lanugo
- Vernix caseosa (Correct answer)
- Meconium
- Milia
Correct answer: Vernix caseosa
Vernix caseosa is the white, cheese-like protective coating that covers the newborn's skin at birth.
Question 3: What is the normal resting heart rate range for a newborn (0–1 month)?
- 60–80 bpm
- 100–160 bpm (Correct answer)
- 80–100 bpm
- 170–200 bpm
Correct answer: 100–160 bpm
Newborn heart rates normally range from 100 to 160 beats per minute.
Question 4: The primary structural difference between a child's trachea and an adult's trachea is that the child's trachea is:
- Longer and wider
- Shorter, narrower, and more flexible (Correct answer)
- Made of dense bone cartilage
- Located more posteriorly
Correct answer: Shorter, narrower, and more flexible
A child's trachea is shorter, narrower, and more pliable than an adult's, making positioning during massage critical.
Question 5: Which reflex, present at birth, causes an infant to turn its head toward a stimulus touching its cheek?
- Moro reflex
- Rooting reflex (Correct answer)
- Babinski reflex
- Palmar grasp reflex
Correct answer: Rooting reflex
The rooting reflex helps infants locate the nipple for feeding by turning the head toward tactile stimulation on the cheek.
Question 6: In pediatric massage, why is a child's liver considered more vulnerable to pressure than an adult's?
- It is located in the pelvis
- It extends lower below the rib cage and is proportionally larger (Correct answer)
- It contains more blood vessels
- It is not yet encased in a capsule
Correct answer: It extends lower below the rib cage and is proportionally larger
A child's liver is proportionally larger and extends further below the costal margin, making it more susceptible to direct pressure.
PMC Infant Anatomy & Physiology 1
Which fontanelle in a newborn typically closes last, around 18–24 months of age?