Normal Variations and Abnormal Findings
Normal Variations and Abnormal Findings ( 5 Questions)
A nurse is teaching a new mother about normal variations in newborns.
Which of the following statements by the mother indicates an understanding of the teaching?
They are tiny, white bumps on a newborn’s nose, cheeks, chin and forehead.
Mongolian spots are not a sign of bruising and should not be reported to the provider. They are blue or purple-colored splotches on the baby’s lower back and buttocks that are caused by a concentration of pigmented cells. They are more common in dark-skinned babies of all races and usually fade by age 5.
Head circumference should be about 2 cm larger than the chest circumference, not smaller.
A smaller head circumference may indicate a problem with brain development.
Fontanelles should be flat and soft to indicate adequate hydration. Sunken and firm fontanelles may indicate dehydration or increased intracranial pressure. Fontanelles are the soft spots on a baby’s head where the skull bones have not yet fused together.
Milia are caused by blocked sebaceous glands and will go away on their own. They are tiny, white bumps on a newborn’s nose, cheeks, chin and forehead.
Choice B is wrong because Mongolian spots are not a sign of bruising and should not be reported to the provider. They are blue or purple-colored splotches on the baby’s lower back and buttocks that are caused by a concentration of pigmented cells. They are more common in dark-skinned babies of all races and usually fade by age 5.
Choice C is wrong because head circumference should be about 2 cm larger than the chest circumference, not smaller.
A smaller head circumference may indicate a problem with brain development.
Choice D is wrong because fontanelles should be flat and soft to indicate adequate hydration. Sunken and firm fontanelles may indicate dehydration or increased intracranial pressure. Fontanelles are the soft spots on a baby’s head where the skull bones have not yet fused together.