Final answer:
Janine is given pitocin to help stimulate and strengthen her contractions during labor. The newborn's first breath alters the circulatory pattern by redirecting blood flow and increasing oxygen levels in the lungs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Question 38:
Janine is 41 weeks pregnant with her first child when she arrives at the birthing unit. Despite experiencing mild contractions, her cervix is only 2 cm dilated and the amniotic sac is intact. Janine is admitted to the birthing unit and an IV infusion of pitocin is started because:
- Pitocin is a synthetic form of the hormone oxytocin, which helps stimulate and strengthen contractions.
- It can be used to induce or speed up labor when labor is not progressing naturally.
- It can also be used to prevent postpartum bleeding by helping the uterus contract after delivery.
Question 39:
The newborn's first breath alters the circulatory pattern in the following ways:
- Closure of the fetal shunts, such as the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus, redirecting blood flow.
- Decreased resistance in the pulmonary blood vessels due to increased oxygen levels, leading to increased blood flow to the lungs.
- Expansion of the lungs causes an increase in pulmonary pressure, helping to close the ductus arteriosus and redirect blood flow.