Chapter 18: Nursing Management of the
Newborn Exam Questions and Answers
Graded A+
The newborn has been placed in skin-to-skin contact with his mother. A blanket
covers all of his body except his head. His hair is still wet with amniotic fluid, etc.
What is the most likely type of heat loss this baby may experience?
-Conductive
-Convective
-Evaporative
-Radiating - Correct answer-Evaporative
Evaporative heat loss occurs with the evaporation of fluid from the infant.
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,A nurse is preparing to administer Vitamin K to a newborn. The nurse would
administer the drug:
-orally.
-subcutaneously.
-intramuscularly.
-intravenously. - Correct answer-intramuscularly.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that vitamin K be administered
to all newborns soon after birth in a single intramuscular dose of 0.5 to 1 mg. An
oral vitamin K preparation is also being given to newborns outside the United
States, but at least three doses are needed over a one month period. It is not given
subcutaneously or intravenously.
The parents are bonding with their newborn when the nurse notes the infant's
axillary temperature is 97.2oF (36.2oC) an hour after birth. Which intervention
should the nurse prioritize for this family?
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,-Help the mother provide skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care.
-Place a second stockinette on the baby's head.
-Administer a warm bath with temperature slightly higher than usual.
-Place the infant under a radiant warmer. - Correct answer-Help the mother provide
skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care.
The nurse should encourage bonding to continue. One way to help the infant get
warm is to help the parents provide kangaroo care, which involves skin-to-skin
contact and parent/baby coverage with blankets. Once the infant is taken for the
initial assessment, placement under the radiant heater would then be appropriate.
Placing a second stockinette is a potential option; however, it would not be as
effective as the skin-to-skin contact. The bath would not be undertaken until the
infant's temperature is stabilized within the normal range.
The nursery nurse notes that one of the newborn infants has white patches on his
tongue that look like milk curds. What action would be appropriate for the nurse to
take?
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, -Wipe the tongue off vigorously to remove the white patches.
-Rinse the tongue off with sterile water and a cotton swab.
-Since it looks like a milk curd, no action is needed.
-Report the finding to the pediatrician. - Correct answer-Report the finding to the
pediatrician.
Although the finding looks like a milk curd, if the white patch remains after
feeding, the pediatrician needs to be notified. The likely cause of the white patch
on the tongue is a fungal infection called Candida albicans, which the newborn
probably contracted while passing through the birth canal. The nurse should not try
to remove the patches.
A woman who is about to be discharged after a vaginal birth notices a flea-like rash
on her newborn's chest that consists of tiny red lesions all across the nipple line.
What is the best response from the nurse when explaining this to the woman?
-"It is a normal skin finding in a newborn."
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
Newborn Exam Questions and Answers
Graded A+
The newborn has been placed in skin-to-skin contact with his mother. A blanket
covers all of his body except his head. His hair is still wet with amniotic fluid, etc.
What is the most likely type of heat loss this baby may experience?
-Conductive
-Convective
-Evaporative
-Radiating - Correct answer-Evaporative
Evaporative heat loss occurs with the evaporation of fluid from the infant.
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,A nurse is preparing to administer Vitamin K to a newborn. The nurse would
administer the drug:
-orally.
-subcutaneously.
-intramuscularly.
-intravenously. - Correct answer-intramuscularly.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that vitamin K be administered
to all newborns soon after birth in a single intramuscular dose of 0.5 to 1 mg. An
oral vitamin K preparation is also being given to newborns outside the United
States, but at least three doses are needed over a one month period. It is not given
subcutaneously or intravenously.
The parents are bonding with their newborn when the nurse notes the infant's
axillary temperature is 97.2oF (36.2oC) an hour after birth. Which intervention
should the nurse prioritize for this family?
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,-Help the mother provide skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care.
-Place a second stockinette on the baby's head.
-Administer a warm bath with temperature slightly higher than usual.
-Place the infant under a radiant warmer. - Correct answer-Help the mother provide
skin-to-skin (kangaroo) care.
The nurse should encourage bonding to continue. One way to help the infant get
warm is to help the parents provide kangaroo care, which involves skin-to-skin
contact and parent/baby coverage with blankets. Once the infant is taken for the
initial assessment, placement under the radiant heater would then be appropriate.
Placing a second stockinette is a potential option; however, it would not be as
effective as the skin-to-skin contact. The bath would not be undertaken until the
infant's temperature is stabilized within the normal range.
The nursery nurse notes that one of the newborn infants has white patches on his
tongue that look like milk curds. What action would be appropriate for the nurse to
take?
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, -Wipe the tongue off vigorously to remove the white patches.
-Rinse the tongue off with sterile water and a cotton swab.
-Since it looks like a milk curd, no action is needed.
-Report the finding to the pediatrician. - Correct answer-Report the finding to the
pediatrician.
Although the finding looks like a milk curd, if the white patch remains after
feeding, the pediatrician needs to be notified. The likely cause of the white patch
on the tongue is a fungal infection called Candida albicans, which the newborn
probably contracted while passing through the birth canal. The nurse should not try
to remove the patches.
A woman who is about to be discharged after a vaginal birth notices a flea-like rash
on her newborn's chest that consists of tiny red lesions all across the nipple line.
What is the best response from the nurse when explaining this to the woman?
-"It is a normal skin finding in a newborn."
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
