Final answer:
In a newborn assessment, a nurse should expect to find lanugo, not closed fontanelles or mature ear cartilage. The presence of the Moro reflex is expected and its absence would be concerning.
Step-by-step explanation:
A nurse performing a physical assessment of a newborn should expect the presence of certain characteristics that are typical for the neonatal stage. One of the clinical findings a nurse may encounter is lanugo, which is the fine, soft hair that covers the body of the fetus and may still be present at birth, although it usually disappears within the first month after birth. It's normal for a newborn's skin to be coated with patches of the waxy white substance called vernix and to exhibit peeling on areas like the wrists and ankles.
Moreover, neonates present with certain body proportions, such as a relatively large head compared to their body, wide shoulders and hips, and a somewhat protruding abdomen. Concerning the skull, newborn infants have fontanelles, which are broad areas of fibrous connective tissue between the cranial bones that have not yet closed or ossified, allowing for changes in shape during childbirth and brain growth after birth.
Among the listed options, the presence of lanugo (b) is a common finding in a newborn. The closure of fontanelles (a) occurs gradually after birth, therefore is not expected in the immediate newborn period. Mature, firm ear cartilage (c) is also not present at birth as the cartilage continues to develop and harden after birth. The Moro reflex (d) is an expected neonatal reflex, so its absence would be concerning, not its presence.