NURS 320: EXAM 3 NEWBORN/NEONATE
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(GRADED A+) | NEW 2025
Newborn:
- Blood pressure (BP) - ANSWER - 1 hour postpartum: 60-80 systolic/40-50
diastolic
Newborn:
- Heart rate (HR) - ANSWER 110-160 beats/minute
Newborn:
- Respiratory rate (RR):
- Pattern - ANSWER - 30-60 respirations/minute
- Pattern:
*Irregular (pauses in respirations lasting <20 seconds)
*Shallow
These episodes of periodic breathing occur most often during the active (rapid eye
movement [REM]) sleep cycle and decrease in frequency and duration with age
Newborn:
- Temperature (axillary) - ANSWER 97.7°F - 98.6°F
,Newborn:
- Glucose - ANSWER - <24 hours: 40-60 mg/dL
- >24 hours: 50-90 mg/dL
Newborn:
- Heat loss modes - ANSWER Heat loss in the newborn occurs by four (4)
modes:
1.) Convection
2.) Conduction
3.) Radiation
4.) Evaporation
Adaptations to Increase Heat Production: - ANSWER - Increased muscle
activity
*Cold infants may cry and appear restless
- Increased cellular metabolic activity
*Increases oxygen and glucose consumption
- Vasoconstriction
*The infant's skin can feel cool to touch
*Acrocyanosis may be present
- Nonshivering thermogenesis
,*Adults are able to produce heat (thermogenesis) through shivering; however, the
shivering mechanism of heat production is rarely operable in the newborn unless
there is prolonged cold exposure
Heat Conservation: - ANSWER - Assume a position of flexion
*Diminishes the amount of body surface exposed to the environment
- Peripheral vasoconstriction
*Reduces the loss of internal heat through the body surface
Nonshivering thermogenesis (NST):
- Mechanism - ANSWER - Metabolism of brown fat, which is unique to the
newborn
- Increased metabolic activity in the brain, heart, and liver
Hypothermia:
- Presentation - ANSWER - Pale and mottled skin
- Skin feels cool, especially on the extremities
*Peripheral vasoconstriction as a means of conserving internal heat
Brown adipose tissue:
- Characteristics - ANSWER - Unique to newborns
, - Present for several weeks after birth
- Rapidly depleted through cold stress
- Richer vascular and nerve supply than ordinary adipose tissue
- The amount of brown adipose tissue increases with the weeks of gestation
*A full term newborn has greater stores than a preterm infant
- Gestation: 17-20 weeks
- Increases heat production by 100%
Evaporative heat loss: - ANSWER - Insensible heat loss
- Evaporative heat loss results from moisture vaporization from the skin
- Evaporative heat loss is intensified by failing to completely dry the newborn after
or with bathing
- Evaporative heat loss, as a component of insensible water loss, is the most
significant cause of heat loss in the first few days of life
Evaporative heat loss:
- Interventions - ANSWER - Place the neonate under warmer
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
(GRADED A+) | NEW 2025
Newborn:
- Blood pressure (BP) - ANSWER - 1 hour postpartum: 60-80 systolic/40-50
diastolic
Newborn:
- Heart rate (HR) - ANSWER 110-160 beats/minute
Newborn:
- Respiratory rate (RR):
- Pattern - ANSWER - 30-60 respirations/minute
- Pattern:
*Irregular (pauses in respirations lasting <20 seconds)
*Shallow
These episodes of periodic breathing occur most often during the active (rapid eye
movement [REM]) sleep cycle and decrease in frequency and duration with age
Newborn:
- Temperature (axillary) - ANSWER 97.7°F - 98.6°F
,Newborn:
- Glucose - ANSWER - <24 hours: 40-60 mg/dL
- >24 hours: 50-90 mg/dL
Newborn:
- Heat loss modes - ANSWER Heat loss in the newborn occurs by four (4)
modes:
1.) Convection
2.) Conduction
3.) Radiation
4.) Evaporation
Adaptations to Increase Heat Production: - ANSWER - Increased muscle
activity
*Cold infants may cry and appear restless
- Increased cellular metabolic activity
*Increases oxygen and glucose consumption
- Vasoconstriction
*The infant's skin can feel cool to touch
*Acrocyanosis may be present
- Nonshivering thermogenesis
,*Adults are able to produce heat (thermogenesis) through shivering; however, the
shivering mechanism of heat production is rarely operable in the newborn unless
there is prolonged cold exposure
Heat Conservation: - ANSWER - Assume a position of flexion
*Diminishes the amount of body surface exposed to the environment
- Peripheral vasoconstriction
*Reduces the loss of internal heat through the body surface
Nonshivering thermogenesis (NST):
- Mechanism - ANSWER - Metabolism of brown fat, which is unique to the
newborn
- Increased metabolic activity in the brain, heart, and liver
Hypothermia:
- Presentation - ANSWER - Pale and mottled skin
- Skin feels cool, especially on the extremities
*Peripheral vasoconstriction as a means of conserving internal heat
Brown adipose tissue:
- Characteristics - ANSWER - Unique to newborns
, - Present for several weeks after birth
- Rapidly depleted through cold stress
- Richer vascular and nerve supply than ordinary adipose tissue
- The amount of brown adipose tissue increases with the weeks of gestation
*A full term newborn has greater stores than a preterm infant
- Gestation: 17-20 weeks
- Increases heat production by 100%
Evaporative heat loss: - ANSWER - Insensible heat loss
- Evaporative heat loss results from moisture vaporization from the skin
- Evaporative heat loss is intensified by failing to completely dry the newborn after
or with bathing
- Evaporative heat loss, as a component of insensible water loss, is the most
significant cause of heat loss in the first few days of life
Evaporative heat loss:
- Interventions - ANSWER - Place the neonate under warmer
