NEONATAL & PEDIATRIC SPECIALTY EXAM 2026 – 200 PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS & DETAILED RATIONALES | NRP, PALS & CERTIFICATION PREP

Master neonatal and pediatric specialty exams with confidence. This comprehensive practice exam delivers 200 rigorous questions covering every essential domain: neonatal assessment & physiology (gestational age classification – SGA/AGA/LGA, Ballard score, normal vital signs – heart rate 100-160 bpm, umbilical cord vessels, thermoregulation, hyperbilirubinemia – acute bilirubin encephalopathy, exchange transfusion criteria, colostrum IgA benefits, late preterm infant hypoglycemia risk), neonatal complications & management (NEC – pneumatosis intestinalis, abdominal distension, bloody stools – NPO, antibiotics, surgical consult; NAS – Finnegan score, morphine treatment; IVH grading – germinal matrix, post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus; PDA – ibuprofen/indomethacin, bounding pulses; ROP screening criteria; apnea of prematurity – caffeine citrate 20/5 mg/kg; surfactant for RDS; congenital heart defects – VSD most common, TGA hyperoxia test, PGE1 for ductal-dependent lesions, TOF tet spell management – knee-chest/morphine; coarctation – upper extremity hypertension with diminished femoral pulses; Kawasaki disease – fever ≥5 days + 4 of 5 criteria, IVIG + aspirin), pediatric growth & development (Denver II domains – personal-social, fine motor, language, gross motor; gross motor milestones – sits alone by 8 months, anterior fontanelle closes 12-18 months, weight doubles by 5 months/triples by 12 months, MMR at 12-15 months, failure to thrive evaluation, DDH Barlow/Ortolani, M-CHAT autism screening at 18/24 months, microcephaly definition 2nd percentile), pediatric respiratory & cardiac (croup – barking cough, stridor, dexamethasone + nebulized epinephrine; RSV bronchiolitis – admission criteria hypoxia 90%, grunting, retractions, supportive care; foreign body aspiration – sudden cough, asymmetric breath sounds, right main bronchus; asthma stepwise therapy, pertussis paroxysmal cough, post-tussive emesis, pneumonia lobar vs. interstitial), NRP (initial steps – warm, dry, stimulate, position airway; most important indicator of effective ventilation – visible chest rise; PPV settings 20-25 cm H2O at 40-60 breaths/min; chest compressions 3:1 ratio when HR 60 despite adequate ventilation for 30 seconds; epinephrine IV preferred 0.01-0.03 mg/kg vs. ET 0.05-0.1 mg/kg; SpO2 targets 1 min 60-65%, 5 min 80-85%, 10 min 85-95%; meconium-stained non-vigorous baby – intubation and suction), PALS (hypovolemic shock most common in children – fluid resuscitation 20 mL/kg isotonic crystalloid; pediatric cardiac arrest most commonly from asphyxia/respiratory failure; shockable rhythms VF/VT – defibrillation 2 J/kg first shock; epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg IV/IO q3-5min; amiodarone 5 mg/kg for refractory VF/VT; anaphylaxis epinephrine IM 0.01 mg/kg max 0.5 mg; status epilepticus – lorazepam 0.1 mg/kg IV; Heimlich maneuver for conscious choking child vs. back blows/chest thrusts for infant), congenital & genetic disorders (Down syndrome trisomy 21 – flat facies, upslanting palpebral fissures, single palmar crease, hypotonia, AV canal defect; Edwards syndrome trisomy 18 – rocker-bottom feet, overlapping fingers, micrognathia; Patau trisomy 13; Hirschsprung disease – failure to pass meconium, transition zone on barium enema, aganglionic colon; fetal alcohol syndrome – microcephaly, smooth philtrum, thin vermillion border, short palpebral fissures; cystic fibrosis – meconium ileus, sweat chloride 60 mEq/L; congenital adrenal hyperplasia – salt-wasting crisis, 17-OHP elevated, ambiguous genitalia; Pierre Robin sequence – micrognathia, glossoptosis, cleft palate), and neonatal/pediatric pharmacology (PGE1 alprostadil for ductal-dependent lesions – monitor apnea; phenobarbital 20 mg/kg first-line for neonatal seizures; epinephrine for anaphylaxis 0.01 mg/kg IM; surfactant for RDS in prematurity; morphine for neonatal abstinence syndrome; caffeine for apnea of prematurity; vitamin K IM at birth; RSV palivizumab 15 mg/kg IM monthly for high-risk infants). Each question includes a verified correct answer and a detailed rationale teaching the why behind every answer—based on NRP, PALS, AAP guidelines, and evidence-based neonatal/pediatric practice. Perfect for NICU nurses, neonatal and pediatric nurse practitioners, pediatric residents, medical students, and anyone preparing for neonatal/pediatric specialty certification exams. No fluff—just high-yield, exam-focused content. Download instantly and master the Neonatal & Pediatric Specialty Exam today.