Pediatric HESI Related

Review Pediatric HESI related questions and content

The parents of a 3-year-old boy who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy ask, 'How can our son have this disease? We are wondering if we should have any more children.' What information should the nurse provide to parents?

  • A. This is an inherited X-linked recessive disorder, which primarily affects male children in the family
  • B. The striated muscle groups of males can be impacted by a lack of the protein dystrophin in their mothers
  • C. The male infant had a viral infection that went unnoticed and untreated so muscle damage was incurred
  • D. Birth trauma with a breech vaginal birth causes damage to the spinal cord, thus weakening the muscles
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked recessive disorder that primarily affects males. It is crucial for the nurse to explain to the parents that this condition follows an inheritance pattern where the gene mutation responsible for the disorder is located on the X chromosome. Males have only one X chromosome, so if they inherit the mutated gene, they will develop the disease. Females, on the other hand, have two X chromosomes, providing a backup copy that can compensate for the mutation. Understanding this inheritance pattern is essential for family planning decisions, as the risk of passing on the disorder to future children can be explained based on this genetic inheritance.