Question

The nursery nurse identifies a newborn at significant risk for hypothermic alteration in thermoregulation because the patient is

a. large for gestational age.
b. low birth weight.
c. born at term.
d. well nourished.

Answer 1

A nursery nurse would identify a newborn at significant risk for hypothermic alteration in thermoregulation if the baby has a low birth weight, which impairs their ability to maintain body temperature.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the options presented, the newborn identified by a nursery nurse at significant risk for hypothermic alteration in thermoregulation is b. low birth weight. Babies with low birth weight, defined as less than 2.5 kg (5.5 lb), are more vulnerable to environmental stresses due to their reduced fat stores and limited ability for thermogenesis. These infants are at higher risk of hypothermia and require careful monitoring and interventions to maintain normothermia. Unlike low birth weight newborns, those who are large for gestational age, born at term, or well-nourished generally have better-developed physiological mechanisms to regulate their body temperature after birth.