Nokea
A breastfed infant is being seen in the clinic for a 6-month checkup. The mother tells the nurse that the infant recently began to suck her thumb. Which is the best nursing intervention?
- A. Reassure the mother that this is normal at this age.
- B. Recommend the mother substitute a pacifier for her thumb.
- C. Assess the infant for other signs of sensory deprivation.
- D. Suggest the mother breastfeed the infant more often to satisfy her sucking needs.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Sucking is an infants chief pleasure, and the infant may not be satisfied by bottle-feeding or breastfeeding alone. During infancy and early childhood, there is no need to restrict nonnutritive sucking. The nurse should explore with the mother her feelings about a pacifier versus the thumb. No data support that the child has sensory deprivation.
You may also like to solve these questions
By which age should the nurse expect that an infant will be able to pull to a standing position?
- A. 5 to 6 months
- B. 7 to 8 months
- C. 11 to 12 months
- D. 14 to 15 months
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Most infants can pull themselves to a standing position at age 9 months. Infants who are not able to pull themselves to standing by age 11 to 12 months should be further evaluated for developmental dysplasia of the hip. At 6 months, infants have just obtained coordination of arms and legs. By age 8 months, infants can bear full weight on their legs.
What information should be given to the parents of a 12-month-old child regarding appropriate play activities for this age?
- A. Give large push-pull toys for kinetic stimulation.
- B. Place a cradle gym across the crib to help develop fine motor skills.
- C. Provide the child with finger paints to enhance fine motor skills.
- D. Provide a stick horse to develop gross motor coordination.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A 12-month-old child is able to pull to a stand and walk holding on or independently. Appropriate toys for this age child include large push-pull toys for kinetic stimulation. A cradle gym should not be placed across the crib. Finger paints are appropriate for older children. A 12-month-old child does not have the stability to use a stick horse.
Which characteristic best describes the fine motor skills of an infant at age 5 months?
- A. Neat pincer grasp
- B. Strong grasp reflex
- C. Builds a tower of two cubes
- D. Able to grasp object voluntarily
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: At age 5 months, the infant should be able to voluntarily grasp an object. The grasp reflex is present in the first 2 to 3 months of life. Gradually, the reflex becomes voluntary. The neat pincer grasp is not achieved until age 11 months. At age 12 months, an infant will attempt to build a tower of two cubes but will most likely be unsuccessful.
The nurse is checking reflexes on a 7-month-old infant. When the infant is suspended in a horizontal prone position, the head is raised and the legs and spine are extended. Which reflex is this?
- A. Landau
- B. Parachute
- C. Body righting
- D. Labyrinth righting
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When the infant is suspended in a horizontal prone position, the head is raised and the legs and spine are extended; this describes the Landau reflex. It appears at 6 to 8 months and persists until 12 to 24 months. The parachute reflex occurs when the infant is suspended in a horizontal prone position and suddenly thrust downward; the infant extends the hands and fingers forward as if to protect against falling. This appears at age 7 to 9 months and lasts indefinitely. Body righting occurs when turning the hips and shoulders to one side causes all other body parts to follow. It appears at 6 months of age and persists until 24 to 36 months. The labyrinth-righting reflex appears at 2 months and is strongest at 10 months. This reflex involves holding infants in the prone or supine position. They are able to raise their heads.
The parents of a 2-month-old boy are concerned about spoiling their son by picking him up when he cries. What is the nurses best response?
- A. Allow him to cry for no longer than 15 minutes and then pick him up.
- B. Babies need comforting and cuddling. Meeting these needs will not spoil him.
- C. Babies this young cry when they are hungry. Try feeding him when he cries.
- D. If he isnt soiled or wet, leave him, and hell cry himself to sleep.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Parents need to learn that a spoiled child is a response to inconsistent discipline and limit setting. It is important to meet the infants developmental needs, including comforting and cuddling. The data suggest that responding to a childs crying can actually decrease the overall crying time. Allowing him to cry for no longer than 15 minutes and then picking him up will reinforce prolonged crying. Infants at this age have other needs besides feeding. The parents should be taught to identify their infants cues. Counseling parents on letting the baby cry himself to sleep when not soiled or wet refers to sleep issues, not general infant behavior.