Question

A nurse is assessing four newborns. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the provider?

A. A newborn who is 26 hr old and has erythema toxic on his face
B. A nurse who is 32 hr old and has not passed a meconium stool
C. A newborn who is 12 hr old and has pink-tinged urine
D. A newborn who is 18 hr old and has an axillary temperature of 37.7 C (99.9 F)

Answer 1

The most concerning finding to report to a healthcare provider is a newborn who is 32 hours old and has not passed a meconium stool, as it could indicate serious gastrointestinal issues.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which of the following findings in a newborn should be reported to a healthcare provider. Among the given options, B. A newborn who is 32 hr old and has not passed a meconium stool should be reported. It's common for newborns to pass their first stool, known as meconium, within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. Failure to do so could be indicative of an underlying condition such as meconium ileus, intestinal obstruction, or other neonatal gastrointestinal issues. Therefore, this finding is concerning and warrants further investigation by the provider.

On the contrary, erythema toxicum is a common and harmless condition often seen in newborns and pink-tinged urine can occur due to urate crystals, which is also usually not a cause for concern. An axillary temperature of 37.7 C (99.9 F) is slightly higher than normal but not as alarmingly as the failure to pass meconium in terms of immediate concern.