Final answer:
The priority action for a newborn that must leave the delivery area is clamping and cutting the umbilical cord. This procedure is crucial for the baby to begin breathing on its own. Subsequent evaluations like the Apgar score may follow once the baby is stabilized and breathing independently.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns the priority action for a newborn who needs to leave the delivery area. The priority in this scenario, given the provided options, is D) Clamping and cutting the umbilical cord. Immediately after birth, the umbilical cord must be clamped and cut to separate the newborn from the placenta. This process is essential because after the cord is cut, the newborn must begin to breathe on its own as it can no longer eliminate carbon dioxide through the placenta. The increase in carbon dioxide in the newborn's blood acts as a critical trigger for the baby to initiate breathing. Therefore, before any assessments like the Apgar score or other interventions, the umbilical cord needs to be attended to, especially if the baby needs to leave the delivery area for any reason.
Post clamping and cutting of the cord, the Apgar score—a quick, easy, and painless test involving assessment criteria including skin color, heart rate, reflex, muscle tone, and respiration—can be determined either in the delivery area or elsewhere as necessary. Actions like initiating skin-to-skin contact or administering uterotonic medication are secondary to ensuring the baby's physiological adaptations to breathing on their own and are thus not the primary concern if the baby needs to leave the delivery area immediately.