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The nurse provides postnatal care for a client diagnosed with gestational diabetes who delivered by c-section at 37 weeks gestation about 3 hours ago. The infant's APGAR scores were 6 and 8, and birth weight 10 lbs (4535.9 g). The client tells the nurse I can't believe how big my baby is, and I even delivered early. Which response by the nurse is best?

a) It's not unusual for babies of diabetic mothers to be larger.
b) Your baby's size is within the normal range for gestational age.
c) Babies born by c-section tend to be larger than those delivered vaginally.
d) Let's monitor the baby's blood sugar to ensure it's stable.

User Nige
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1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The best response is that it's not unusual for babies of diabetic mothers to be larger due to excess maternal glucose. While monitoring the baby's blood sugar is important, it doesn't directly address the mother's concern about size. The infant's size is consistent with common outcomes of gestational diabetes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best response by the nurse to the client who delivered a large baby and was diagnosed with gestational diabetes would be a) It's not unusual for babies of diabetic mothers to be larger. This comment acknowledges the relationship between maternal diabetes and increased fetal size, a common observation in gestational diabetes due to excess glucose being transferred to the fetus, resulting in increased insulin and growth. Option d) Let's monitor the baby's blood sugar to ensure it's stable is also an important consideration, but it does not directly respond to the mother's comment about the baby's size.

In addition to this information, the APGAR score assesses a newborn's general well-being at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth. Scores of 7 to 10 are generally considered normal. Fetal growth and birth weight can also be influenced by the length of gestation. Babies born before 37 weeks are typically smaller; however, in this case, the 10 lbs weight is above the average weight range for a full-term infant, aligning more with the common effects of gestational diabetes.

User Chris Scott
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