Newborn Assessment and Care Flashcards
6 cards from real Maternal Newborn Nursing Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Newborn Assessment and Care flashcards as text
At 1 minute of life, a newborn has a heart rate of 98 bpm, slow irregular respirations, some flexion of extremities, a grimace in response to stimulation, and a pink body with blue extremities. What is the Apgar score?
Answer: 6
Heart rate <100=1, slow respirations=1, some flexion=1, grimace=1, acrocyanosis=1 — totaling an Apgar score of 6.
A term newborn is delivered and placed on the mother's abdomen. The nurse's initial assessment reveals the baby is breathing but has central cyanosis. What is the priority action?
Answer: Administer blow-by oxygen and reassess within 60 seconds
Central cyanosis in a breathing newborn warrants supplemental oxygen delivery (blow-by) and immediate reassessment to determine if further resuscitation is needed.
The nurse is performing a newborn assessment at 2 hours of life. Which finding requires immediate notification of the healthcare provider?
Answer: Nasal flaring and expiratory grunting
Nasal flaring and expiratory grunting are signs of respiratory distress in the newborn and require prompt medical evaluation.
Which normal newborn reflex disappears by approximately 3–4 months of age and indicates intact neurological function at birth?
Answer: Moro (startle) reflex
The Moro reflex (symmetric arm extension/abduction followed by adduction) is present at birth and normally disappears by 3–4 months as cortical control matures.
A newborn's blood glucose is 38 mg/dL at 2 hours of life. The infant is alert and breastfeeding well. What is the appropriate nursing intervention?
Answer: Encourage breastfeeding and recheck glucose in 30–60 minutes
A mildly low glucose of 38 mg/dL in an asymptomatic, feeding newborn is managed with continued breastfeeding and glucose recheck per protocol before escalating treatment.
When performing a gestational age assessment using the Ballard scale, which physical characteristic would indicate a post-term newborn?
Answer: Smooth, peeling skin with little vernix caseosa
Post-term infants typically have dry, peeling, cracked skin with minimal vernix because vernix production decreases as the pregnancy extends beyond 40 weeks.