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 impact of the
Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921. Which statement best describes
the primary outcome of this federal legislation?
A. It established the first professional standards for midwifery
practice in the United States.
B. It provided direct federal funding for the construction of new
hospitals in rural areas.
C. It dramatically reduced maternal mortality by funding
childbirth education for physicians.
D. It created federal-state programs to provide health education
and care for mothers and infants.
,Correct Answer: D
Rationales:
• Correct: The Sheppard-Towner Act (1921-1929) was the
first major federal initiative to address high maternal and
infant mortality rates. It provided matching funds to states
to establish programs for public health nurses to visit
homes and provide health education and care, leading to a
significant decline in mortality.
• Incorrect A: While the act utilized nurses, its focus was
not on setting midwifery standards but on providing direct
public health services.
• Incorrect B: The act funded educational and preventive
care services, not infrastructure like hospital construction.
• Incorrect C: The act focused on providing care and
education through nurses to families, not specifically on
physician education.
Teaching Point: Sheppard-Towner pioneered federal
involvement in maternal-infant health through public health
nursing.
Citation: Ricci, Kyle, Carman (2020). Maternity and
Pediatric Nursing, 5th Ed., 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 explaining the historical context of child
health to a new graduate. Which 20th-century development was
most responsible for the sharp decline in childhood mortality
from infectious diseases?
A. The passage of mandatory child seat belt laws.
,B. The widespread availability of antibiotics and vaccinations.
C. The establishment of the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
D. The shift to hospital-based births attended by physicians.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct: The introduction of antibiotics (like penicillin)
and the development of effective vaccines for diseases like
diphtheria, pertussis, and polio in the mid-20th century
directly caused a dramatic decrease in death from infectious
diseases.
• Incorrect A: Seat belt laws prevent injury-related deaths,
not infectious disease mortality.
• Incorrect C: WIC improves nutritional status, which
indirectly supports health, but it was not the primary cause
of the decline in infectious disease deaths.
• Incorrect D: Hospital-based births improved maternal and
newborn outcomes but had less direct impact on mortality
from childhood infectious diseases like measles or polio.
Teaching Point: Antibiotics and vaccinations are the
primary reason for the historic decline in childhood
infectious disease mortality.
Citation: Ricci, Kyle, Carman (2020). Maternity and
Pediatric Nursing, 5th Ed., Chapter 1: The History of Child
Health and Child Health Care.
3. Chapter 1, Mortality
The clinic nurse is reviewing health status data. Which measure
is defined as the number of deaths of infants under 1 year of age
per 1,000 live births in a given year?
, A. Maternal mortality rate
B. Neonatal mortality rate
C. Infant mortality rate
D. Perinatal mortality rate
Correct Answer: C
Rationales:
• Correct: The infant mortality rate is a key indicator of a
nation's health and is specifically defined as the number of
deaths of infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births.
• Incorrect A: Maternal mortality rate refers to the death of
a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of
termination of pregnancy.
• Incorrect B: Neonatal mortality rate refers only to deaths
of infants in the first 28 days of life.
• Incorrect D: Perinatal mortality rate includes stillbirths
(fetal deaths) and deaths in the first week of life.
Teaching Point: Infant mortality rate is a critical
benchmark for the overall health of a population.
Citation: Ricci, Kyle, Carman (2020). Maternity and
Pediatric Nursing, 5th Ed., Chapter 1: Mortality.
4. Chapter 1, Morbidity
A public health nurse is prioritizing concerns for a pediatric
population. Which condition is currently identified as a leading
cause of morbidity (illness) among children in the United
States?
A. Asthma
B. Type 1 Diabetes
C. Cystic Fibrosis
D. Congenital Heart Defects
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 impact of the
Sheppard-Towner Act of 1921. Which statement best describes
the primary outcome of this federal legislation?
A. It established the first professional standards for midwifery
practice in the United States.
B. It provided direct federal funding for the construction of new
hospitals in rural areas.
C. It dramatically reduced maternal mortality by funding
childbirth education for physicians.
D. It created federal-state programs to provide health education
and care for mothers and infants.
,Correct Answer: D
Rationales:
• Correct: The Sheppard-Towner Act (1921-1929) was the
first major federal initiative to address high maternal and
infant mortality rates. It provided matching funds to states
to establish programs for public health nurses to visit
homes and provide health education and care, leading to a
significant decline in mortality.
• Incorrect A: While the act utilized nurses, its focus was
not on setting midwifery standards but on providing direct
public health services.
• Incorrect B: The act funded educational and preventive
care services, not infrastructure like hospital construction.
• Incorrect C: The act focused on providing care and
education through nurses to families, not specifically on
physician education.
Teaching Point: Sheppard-Towner pioneered federal
involvement in maternal-infant health through public health
nursing.
Citation: Ricci, Kyle, Carman (2020). Maternity and
Pediatric Nursing, 5th Ed., 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 explaining the historical context of child
health to a new graduate. Which 20th-century development was
most responsible for the sharp decline in childhood mortality
from infectious diseases?
A. The passage of mandatory child seat belt laws.
,B. The widespread availability of antibiotics and vaccinations.
C. The establishment of the Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
D. The shift to hospital-based births attended by physicians.
Correct Answer: B
Rationales:
• Correct: The introduction of antibiotics (like penicillin)
and the development of effective vaccines for diseases like
diphtheria, pertussis, and polio in the mid-20th century
directly caused a dramatic decrease in death from infectious
diseases.
• Incorrect A: Seat belt laws prevent injury-related deaths,
not infectious disease mortality.
• Incorrect C: WIC improves nutritional status, which
indirectly supports health, but it was not the primary cause
of the decline in infectious disease deaths.
• Incorrect D: Hospital-based births improved maternal and
newborn outcomes but had less direct impact on mortality
from childhood infectious diseases like measles or polio.
Teaching Point: Antibiotics and vaccinations are the
primary reason for the historic decline in childhood
infectious disease mortality.
Citation: Ricci, Kyle, Carman (2020). Maternity and
Pediatric Nursing, 5th Ed., Chapter 1: The History of Child
Health and Child Health Care.
3. Chapter 1, Mortality
The clinic nurse is reviewing health status data. Which measure
is defined as the number of deaths of infants under 1 year of age
per 1,000 live births in a given year?
, A. Maternal mortality rate
B. Neonatal mortality rate
C. Infant mortality rate
D. Perinatal mortality rate
Correct Answer: C
Rationales:
• Correct: The infant mortality rate is a key indicator of a
nation's health and is specifically defined as the number of
deaths of infants under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births.
• Incorrect A: Maternal mortality rate refers to the death of
a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of
termination of pregnancy.
• Incorrect B: Neonatal mortality rate refers only to deaths
of infants in the first 28 days of life.
• Incorrect D: Perinatal mortality rate includes stillbirths
(fetal deaths) and deaths in the first week of life.
Teaching Point: Infant mortality rate is a critical
benchmark for the overall health of a population.
Citation: Ricci, Kyle, Carman (2020). Maternity and
Pediatric Nursing, 5th Ed., Chapter 1: Mortality.
4. Chapter 1, Morbidity
A public health nurse is prioritizing concerns for a pediatric
population. Which condition is currently identified as a leading
cause of morbidity (illness) among children in the United
States?
A. Asthma
B. Type 1 Diabetes
C. Cystic Fibrosis
D. Congenital Heart Defects
