Maternity and Pediatric Nursing
5th Edition
• Author(s)Susan Scott Ricci; Terri Kyle; Susan Carman
• PublisherPublished by Wolters Kluwer Health Copyright©
2025
• Print ISBN: 9781975220419
TEST BANK
Chapter 1: The History of Maternal and
Newborn Health and Health Care
A nursing student is researching the historical underpinnings of
modern maternal-child nursing. Which 19th-century
development was most critical in significantly reducing
childbirth mortality by targeting puerperal fever?
A. The opening of the first lying-in hospitals for poor women.
B. The publication of guidelines for safer forceps use by
physicians.
C. The mandate for physicians to disinfect their hands with a
chlorinated lime solution.
D. The establishment of district nursing to provide care in
patients' homes.
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Ignaz Semmelweis's work in the 1840s demonstrated
that puerperal fever was transmitted via contaminated hands of
healthcare providers. His mandate for hand disinfection with a
chlorinated lime solution led to a dramatic drop in mortality
rates at his clinic, directly linking hygiene to patient survival.
This was a pivotal evidence-based intervention before the germ
theory was fully accepted.
• A: Lying-in hospitals, while providing care, initially had
very high mortality rates due to infection.
• B: Safer forceps use addressed birth trauma, not the
primary cause of mortality from infection.
• D: District nursing improved access to care but did not
directly address the cause of puerperal fever.
Teaching Point: Semmelweis's hand hygiene mandate was
a landmark in reducing maternal mortality from infection.
Citation: Ricci, S., Kyle, T., & Carman, S.
(2021). Maternity and Pediatric Nursing (5th ed.). Wolters
Kluwer. Chapter 1, The History of Maternal and Newborn
Health and Health Care.
2. Chapter 1, The History of Child Health and Child Health
Care
A pediatric nurse is presenting a community education session
on the history of child health. Which early 20th-century federal
act is primarily credited with laying the foundation for child
welfare programs in the United States by providing funding for
health services?
A. The Social Security Act of 1935.
B. The Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921.
,C. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.
D. The Emergency Maternity and Infant Care Act of 1943.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Sheppard-Towner Act was the first major
federal legislation to provide funds specifically to states to
develop programs for maternal and child health, such as prenatal
clinics and well-child visits. It established the government's role
in promoting the health of women and children.
• A: The Social Security Act of 1935 later incorporated and
expanded upon the principles of Sheppard-Towner, but it
was not the first.
• C: This act addressed food and drug safety, which
indirectly benefited children, but was not focused on child
welfare programs.
• D: This act provided care for wives and infants of
servicemen during WWII, but it was not the foundational
legislation.
Teaching Point: The Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921
pioneered federal support for state-level maternal-child
health programs.
Citation: Ricci, S., Kyle, T., & Carman, S.
(2021). Maternity and Pediatric Nursing (5th ed.). Wolters
Kluwer. Chapter 1, The History of Child Health and Child
Health Care.
3. Chapter 1, Mortality
A public health nurse is analyzing community data to prioritize
interventions. Which measure is the most sensitive indicator of a
nation's overall health status, according to maternal-child health
principles?
, A. Crude death rate.
B. Maternal mortality rate.
C. Infant mortality rate.
D. Child mortality rate (ages 1-14).
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The infant mortality rate (number of deaths in the
first year of life per 1,000 live births) is considered a key
international indicator of a population's health because it reflects
the overall effectiveness of prenatal care, nutrition, sanitation,
and access to primary health services.
• A: The crude death rate is too general and is influenced by
the age distribution of the population.
• B: The maternal mortality rate is a critical indicator of
women's health care but applies to a smaller, specific
population.
• D: The child mortality rate is important but is generally
lower than infant mortality in developed nations.
Teaching Point: Infant mortality rate is the most sensitive
benchmark for comparing a nation's health status.
Citation: Ricci, S., Kyle, T., & Carman, S.
(2021). Maternity and Pediatric Nursing (5th ed.). Wolters
Kluwer. Chapter 1, Mortality.
4. Chapter 1, Morbidity
When planning health promotion programs for adolescents, a
school nurse recognizes that the leading cause of non-fatal
morbidity (illness and injury) in this age group is related to
which of the following?
A. Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
B. Acute infectious diseases like influenza.
5th Edition
• Author(s)Susan Scott Ricci; Terri Kyle; Susan Carman
• PublisherPublished by Wolters Kluwer Health Copyright©
2025
• Print ISBN: 9781975220419
TEST BANK
Chapter 1: The History of Maternal and
Newborn Health and Health Care
A nursing student is researching the historical underpinnings of
modern maternal-child nursing. Which 19th-century
development was most critical in significantly reducing
childbirth mortality by targeting puerperal fever?
A. The opening of the first lying-in hospitals for poor women.
B. The publication of guidelines for safer forceps use by
physicians.
C. The mandate for physicians to disinfect their hands with a
chlorinated lime solution.
D. The establishment of district nursing to provide care in
patients' homes.
,Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Ignaz Semmelweis's work in the 1840s demonstrated
that puerperal fever was transmitted via contaminated hands of
healthcare providers. His mandate for hand disinfection with a
chlorinated lime solution led to a dramatic drop in mortality
rates at his clinic, directly linking hygiene to patient survival.
This was a pivotal evidence-based intervention before the germ
theory was fully accepted.
• A: Lying-in hospitals, while providing care, initially had
very high mortality rates due to infection.
• B: Safer forceps use addressed birth trauma, not the
primary cause of mortality from infection.
• D: District nursing improved access to care but did not
directly address the cause of puerperal fever.
Teaching Point: Semmelweis's hand hygiene mandate was
a landmark in reducing maternal mortality from infection.
Citation: Ricci, S., Kyle, T., & Carman, S.
(2021). Maternity and Pediatric Nursing (5th ed.). Wolters
Kluwer. Chapter 1, The History of Maternal and Newborn
Health and Health Care.
2. Chapter 1, The History of Child Health and Child Health
Care
A pediatric nurse is presenting a community education session
on the history of child health. Which early 20th-century federal
act is primarily credited with laying the foundation for child
welfare programs in the United States by providing funding for
health services?
A. The Social Security Act of 1935.
B. The Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921.
,C. The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.
D. The Emergency Maternity and Infant Care Act of 1943.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The Sheppard-Towner Act was the first major
federal legislation to provide funds specifically to states to
develop programs for maternal and child health, such as prenatal
clinics and well-child visits. It established the government's role
in promoting the health of women and children.
• A: The Social Security Act of 1935 later incorporated and
expanded upon the principles of Sheppard-Towner, but it
was not the first.
• C: This act addressed food and drug safety, which
indirectly benefited children, but was not focused on child
welfare programs.
• D: This act provided care for wives and infants of
servicemen during WWII, but it was not the foundational
legislation.
Teaching Point: The Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921
pioneered federal support for state-level maternal-child
health programs.
Citation: Ricci, S., Kyle, T., & Carman, S.
(2021). Maternity and Pediatric Nursing (5th ed.). Wolters
Kluwer. Chapter 1, The History of Child Health and Child
Health Care.
3. Chapter 1, Mortality
A public health nurse is analyzing community data to prioritize
interventions. Which measure is the most sensitive indicator of a
nation's overall health status, according to maternal-child health
principles?
, A. Crude death rate.
B. Maternal mortality rate.
C. Infant mortality rate.
D. Child mortality rate (ages 1-14).
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The infant mortality rate (number of deaths in the
first year of life per 1,000 live births) is considered a key
international indicator of a population's health because it reflects
the overall effectiveness of prenatal care, nutrition, sanitation,
and access to primary health services.
• A: The crude death rate is too general and is influenced by
the age distribution of the population.
• B: The maternal mortality rate is a critical indicator of
women's health care but applies to a smaller, specific
population.
• D: The child mortality rate is important but is generally
lower than infant mortality in developed nations.
Teaching Point: Infant mortality rate is the most sensitive
benchmark for comparing a nation's health status.
Citation: Ricci, S., Kyle, T., & Carman, S.
(2021). Maternity and Pediatric Nursing (5th ed.). Wolters
Kluwer. Chapter 1, Mortality.
4. Chapter 1, Morbidity
When planning health promotion programs for adolescents, a
school nurse recognizes that the leading cause of non-fatal
morbidity (illness and injury) in this age group is related to
which of the following?
A. Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.
B. Acute infectious diseases like influenza.
