LEIFER’S INTRODUCTION TO MATERNITY &
PEDIATRIC NURSING
250 STUDY QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
MATERNITY NURSING FOUNDATIONS
1. What is the primary goal of family-centered maternity care?
Answer: To provide safe, respectful care that includes the pregnant or postpartum patient and their
chosen family or support persons.
2. What is preconception care?
Answer: Assessment and counseling before pregnancy to optimize health, identify risks, and support
healthy pregnancy outcomes.
3. Why is folic acid recommended before and during early pregnancy?
Answer: It reduces the risk of neural tube defects.
4. What is an estimated date of delivery?
Answer: An estimate of the expected birth date, commonly calculated from the first day of the last
menstrual period using the standard 280-day method when cycles are regular.
5. What is the purpose of prenatal visits?
Answer: To monitor maternal and fetal well-being, screen for complications, provide education, and
support healthy behaviors.
6. What is gravida?
Answer: The total number of times a person has been pregnant, regardless of pregnancy outcome.
7. What is para?
Answer: The number of pregnancies reaching the gestational-age threshold used by the documentation
system, not the number of infants born.
8. What is the purpose of calculating gestational age?
Answer: To guide screening, interpret fetal growth, and plan time-sensitive pregnancy care.
9. What is a presumptive sign of pregnancy?
Answer: A symptom reported by the patient, such as nausea, fatigue, or breast tenderness.
10. What is a probable sign of pregnancy?
Answer: An objective finding suggestive of pregnancy, such as a positive pregnancy test or uterine
changes.
11. What is a positive sign of pregnancy?
Answer: Direct evidence of a fetus, such as fetal cardiac activity detected by an appropriate method or
ultrasound visualization.
12. What is the purpose of prenatal screening?
Answer: To estimate the chance of selected fetal or maternal conditions and identify who may benefit
from diagnostic testing.
13. How does screening differ from diagnostic testing?
, Answer: Screening estimates risk; diagnostic testing is used to determine whether a specific condition
is present.
14. Why is Rh status assessed during pregnancy?
Answer: To identify risk of Rh alloimmunization and determine whether Rh immune globulin is
indicated.
15. What is Rh alloimmunization?
Answer: Maternal formation of antibodies against Rh-positive fetal red blood cells, which can affect a
current or future fetus.
16. What is the purpose of Rh immune globulin?
Answer: To prevent sensitization in eligible Rh-negative, unsensitized pregnant patients.
17. What is the purpose of screening for gestational diabetes?
Answer: To identify glucose intolerance during pregnancy and reduce maternal and fetal
complications through treatment.
18. What is preeclampsia?
Answer: A pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder that develops after 20 weeks and may involve
proteinuria or other signs of organ dysfunction.
19. What symptoms in pregnancy may signal severe preeclampsia?
Answer: Severe headache, visual changes, right upper-quadrant or epigastric pain, shortness of
breath, or markedly elevated blood pressure.
20. What is eclampsia?
Answer: New-onset seizure associated with preeclampsia when another cause does not explain it.
21. What is the purpose of magnesium sulfate in severe preeclampsia?
Answer: Seizure prophylaxis or treatment, with monitoring for toxicity and respiratory depression.
22. What are signs of magnesium sulfate toxicity?
Answer: Diminished or absent deep tendon reflexes, respiratory depression, and reduced urine output.
23. What is gestational hypertension?
Answer: New hypertension after 20 weeks of pregnancy without the diagnostic features of
preeclampsia.
24. What is chronic hypertension in pregnancy?
Answer: Hypertension that predates pregnancy or is identified before 20 weeks’ gestation.
25. What is placenta previa?
Answer: Placental implantation over or near the internal cervical opening, often associated with
painless vaginal bleeding.
26. What is placental abruption?
Answer: Premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall, often causing painful bleeding
and uterine tenderness.
27. What is the priority with significant bleeding during pregnancy?
Answer: Assess maternal stability, summon appropriate help, and evaluate fetal status while avoiding
procedures that may worsen the condition.
28. What is ectopic pregnancy?
Answer: Implantation of a pregnancy outside the uterine cavity, most commonly in a fallopian tube.
29. What symptoms may indicate ruptured ectopic pregnancy?
, Answer: Severe abdominal or pelvic pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, syncope, or signs of shock.
30. What is spontaneous abortion in clinical terminology?
Answer: Pregnancy loss before the gestational threshold defined by the applicable clinical or legal
standard.
31. What is hyperemesis gravidarum?
Answer: Severe pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting that can cause dehydration, electrolyte
abnormalities, and weight loss.
32. What is the purpose of assessing fetal movement?
Answer: To help evaluate fetal well-being and identify a meaningful reduction from the fetus’s usual
activity pattern.
33. What should a pregnant patient do about noticeably reduced fetal movement?
Answer: Contact the maternity care team promptly for assessment rather than waiting for the next
routine visit.
34. What is the purpose of a nonstress test?
Answer: To assess fetal heart-rate accelerations associated with fetal movement as an indicator of fetal
well-being.
35. What is a biophysical profile?
Answer: A prenatal assessment combining fetal heart-rate testing with ultrasound measures such as
movement, tone, breathing, and amniotic fluid.
36. What is oligohydramnios?
Answer: A lower-than-expected volume of amniotic fluid.
37. What is polyhydramnios?
Answer: An excessive volume of amniotic fluid.
38. What is preterm labor?
Answer: Labor with regular contractions and cervical change before 37 completed weeks of
pregnancy.
39. What is preterm premature rupture of membranes?
Answer: Rupture of the fetal membranes before labor and before 37 weeks’ gestation.
40. What is the purpose of antenatal corticosteroids when indicated?
Answer: To accelerate fetal lung maturation and reduce complications of anticipated preterm birth.
41. What is group B streptococcus screening intended to prevent?
Answer: Early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease through appropriate intrapartum
prophylaxis for eligible patients.
42. What is the purpose of screening for sexually transmitted infections in pregnancy?
Answer: To identify and treat infections that may harm the pregnant patient, fetus, or newborn and
reduce transmission.
43. Why is smoking cessation counseling important during pregnancy?
Answer: Tobacco exposure is associated with fetal growth restriction, placental complications,
preterm birth, and other adverse outcomes.
44. What is the purpose of nutrition counseling in pregnancy?
Answer: To support appropriate weight gain, fetal development, and prevention or management of
nutritional deficiencies.
PEDIATRIC NURSING
250 STUDY QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
MATERNITY NURSING FOUNDATIONS
1. What is the primary goal of family-centered maternity care?
Answer: To provide safe, respectful care that includes the pregnant or postpartum patient and their
chosen family or support persons.
2. What is preconception care?
Answer: Assessment and counseling before pregnancy to optimize health, identify risks, and support
healthy pregnancy outcomes.
3. Why is folic acid recommended before and during early pregnancy?
Answer: It reduces the risk of neural tube defects.
4. What is an estimated date of delivery?
Answer: An estimate of the expected birth date, commonly calculated from the first day of the last
menstrual period using the standard 280-day method when cycles are regular.
5. What is the purpose of prenatal visits?
Answer: To monitor maternal and fetal well-being, screen for complications, provide education, and
support healthy behaviors.
6. What is gravida?
Answer: The total number of times a person has been pregnant, regardless of pregnancy outcome.
7. What is para?
Answer: The number of pregnancies reaching the gestational-age threshold used by the documentation
system, not the number of infants born.
8. What is the purpose of calculating gestational age?
Answer: To guide screening, interpret fetal growth, and plan time-sensitive pregnancy care.
9. What is a presumptive sign of pregnancy?
Answer: A symptom reported by the patient, such as nausea, fatigue, or breast tenderness.
10. What is a probable sign of pregnancy?
Answer: An objective finding suggestive of pregnancy, such as a positive pregnancy test or uterine
changes.
11. What is a positive sign of pregnancy?
Answer: Direct evidence of a fetus, such as fetal cardiac activity detected by an appropriate method or
ultrasound visualization.
12. What is the purpose of prenatal screening?
Answer: To estimate the chance of selected fetal or maternal conditions and identify who may benefit
from diagnostic testing.
13. How does screening differ from diagnostic testing?
, Answer: Screening estimates risk; diagnostic testing is used to determine whether a specific condition
is present.
14. Why is Rh status assessed during pregnancy?
Answer: To identify risk of Rh alloimmunization and determine whether Rh immune globulin is
indicated.
15. What is Rh alloimmunization?
Answer: Maternal formation of antibodies against Rh-positive fetal red blood cells, which can affect a
current or future fetus.
16. What is the purpose of Rh immune globulin?
Answer: To prevent sensitization in eligible Rh-negative, unsensitized pregnant patients.
17. What is the purpose of screening for gestational diabetes?
Answer: To identify glucose intolerance during pregnancy and reduce maternal and fetal
complications through treatment.
18. What is preeclampsia?
Answer: A pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder that develops after 20 weeks and may involve
proteinuria or other signs of organ dysfunction.
19. What symptoms in pregnancy may signal severe preeclampsia?
Answer: Severe headache, visual changes, right upper-quadrant or epigastric pain, shortness of
breath, or markedly elevated blood pressure.
20. What is eclampsia?
Answer: New-onset seizure associated with preeclampsia when another cause does not explain it.
21. What is the purpose of magnesium sulfate in severe preeclampsia?
Answer: Seizure prophylaxis or treatment, with monitoring for toxicity and respiratory depression.
22. What are signs of magnesium sulfate toxicity?
Answer: Diminished or absent deep tendon reflexes, respiratory depression, and reduced urine output.
23. What is gestational hypertension?
Answer: New hypertension after 20 weeks of pregnancy without the diagnostic features of
preeclampsia.
24. What is chronic hypertension in pregnancy?
Answer: Hypertension that predates pregnancy or is identified before 20 weeks’ gestation.
25. What is placenta previa?
Answer: Placental implantation over or near the internal cervical opening, often associated with
painless vaginal bleeding.
26. What is placental abruption?
Answer: Premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall, often causing painful bleeding
and uterine tenderness.
27. What is the priority with significant bleeding during pregnancy?
Answer: Assess maternal stability, summon appropriate help, and evaluate fetal status while avoiding
procedures that may worsen the condition.
28. What is ectopic pregnancy?
Answer: Implantation of a pregnancy outside the uterine cavity, most commonly in a fallopian tube.
29. What symptoms may indicate ruptured ectopic pregnancy?
, Answer: Severe abdominal or pelvic pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, syncope, or signs of shock.
30. What is spontaneous abortion in clinical terminology?
Answer: Pregnancy loss before the gestational threshold defined by the applicable clinical or legal
standard.
31. What is hyperemesis gravidarum?
Answer: Severe pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting that can cause dehydration, electrolyte
abnormalities, and weight loss.
32. What is the purpose of assessing fetal movement?
Answer: To help evaluate fetal well-being and identify a meaningful reduction from the fetus’s usual
activity pattern.
33. What should a pregnant patient do about noticeably reduced fetal movement?
Answer: Contact the maternity care team promptly for assessment rather than waiting for the next
routine visit.
34. What is the purpose of a nonstress test?
Answer: To assess fetal heart-rate accelerations associated with fetal movement as an indicator of fetal
well-being.
35. What is a biophysical profile?
Answer: A prenatal assessment combining fetal heart-rate testing with ultrasound measures such as
movement, tone, breathing, and amniotic fluid.
36. What is oligohydramnios?
Answer: A lower-than-expected volume of amniotic fluid.
37. What is polyhydramnios?
Answer: An excessive volume of amniotic fluid.
38. What is preterm labor?
Answer: Labor with regular contractions and cervical change before 37 completed weeks of
pregnancy.
39. What is preterm premature rupture of membranes?
Answer: Rupture of the fetal membranes before labor and before 37 weeks’ gestation.
40. What is the purpose of antenatal corticosteroids when indicated?
Answer: To accelerate fetal lung maturation and reduce complications of anticipated preterm birth.
41. What is group B streptococcus screening intended to prevent?
Answer: Early-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease through appropriate intrapartum
prophylaxis for eligible patients.
42. What is the purpose of screening for sexually transmitted infections in pregnancy?
Answer: To identify and treat infections that may harm the pregnant patient, fetus, or newborn and
reduce transmission.
43. Why is smoking cessation counseling important during pregnancy?
Answer: Tobacco exposure is associated with fetal growth restriction, placental complications,
preterm birth, and other adverse outcomes.
44. What is the purpose of nutrition counseling in pregnancy?
Answer: To support appropriate weight gain, fetal development, and prevention or management of
nutritional deficiencies.
