NUR1025 MODULE 6 EAQS MATERNAL, INFANT, AND
PEDIATRIC DEVELOPMENT — Q&A WITH RATIONALES
1. A pregnant patient reports occasional smoking and drinking. Why will the
provider instruct her to stop both behaviors?
Answer: Because smoking and alcohol can impair the baby’s cognitive
development.
Rationale: Exposure to nicotine and alcohol during pregnancy is linked to poor
brain development, learning difficulties, and long-term neurocognitive impairment.
2. The nurse suspects infantile autism in an infant. Which clinical observation
supports this suspicion?
Answer: Lack of response to sounds.
Rationale: Children with autism often show poor auditory responsiveness due to
impaired central auditory processing, despite normal ear function.
3. A child can hear speech but struggles with low-pitched sounds and has no
speech delay. What is the expected hearing level?
Answer: Slight hearing impairment.
Rationale: Slight hearing loss affects soft and low-frequency sounds but usually
does not disrupt speech development.
,4. A third-grader with autism may have difficulty with what school-related
activity?
Answer: Working collaboratively with classmates on group projects.
Rationale: Autism often involves challenges with nonverbal social communication,
making peer interactions difficult.
5. A nurse caring for a child with cognitive impairment tells the parents, “I don’t
know what is going on with your child’s health.” Why is this concerning?
Answer: It reflects uncertainty and may undermine parental confidence.
Rationale: Nurses must provide clear, supportive communication; expressing
confusion without seeking answers creates anxiety and is unprofessional.
6. A child is diagnosed with conductive hearing loss. How should the nurse help
the parents cope?
Answer: Explain that conductive hearing loss is often treatable.
Rationale: Conductive loss can frequently be corrected medically or surgically;
reassurance helps reduce parental distress.
7. Parents of a 10-year-old diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder ask for the
cause. What is the most appropriate response?
Answer: “The exact cause of autism is still unknown.”
,Rationale: Current evidence suggests multiple contributing factors; no single cause
has been proven, and parents should not feel blamed.
8. A newborn has a short rib cage, Brushfield spots, and broad, short hands with
stubby fingers. What condition does this suggest?
Answer: Down syndrome.
Rationale: These are characteristic physical features seen in infants with trisomy
21.
9. Why is early detection of hearing impairment essential in infants?
Answer: Because hearing loss affects speech development.
Rationale: Speech and language skills depend on auditory input; infants learn to
speak by imitating sounds they hear.
10. A 5-year-old with bilateral eye patches is allowed to get up for the first time.
What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Orient the child to the surrounding environment.
Rationale: With both eyes patched, the child is at high risk for injury; orientation
promotes safety during mobility.
11. A child with strabismus has the right eye patched. What is the purpose of this
intervention?
, Answer: To strengthen vision in the left (weaker) eye.
Rationale: Covering the strong eye forces the weaker eye to work harder,
improving alignment and visual acuity.
12. A week-old newborn has a lower-than-expected birth weight for height. Which
physical feature would suggest Down syndrome?
Answer: A short, broad neck.
Rationale: Infants with Down syndrome often have a wide, short neck due to
characteristic musculoskeletal differences.
13. Parents report difficulty holding their newborn with Down syndrome. What is
the best nursing response?
Answer: “Babies with Down syndrome often have low muscle tone.”
Rationale: Hypotonia is a hallmark of Down syndrome and explains why the baby
feels floppy during handling.
Newborns with Down syndrome have joint hyperflexibility and low muscle tone.
This can make it difficult to hold the newborn because he or she can go limp like a
rag doll. This makes it difficult for the parents to embrace and provide warmth to
their newborn.
PEDIATRIC DEVELOPMENT — Q&A WITH RATIONALES
1. A pregnant patient reports occasional smoking and drinking. Why will the
provider instruct her to stop both behaviors?
Answer: Because smoking and alcohol can impair the baby’s cognitive
development.
Rationale: Exposure to nicotine and alcohol during pregnancy is linked to poor
brain development, learning difficulties, and long-term neurocognitive impairment.
2. The nurse suspects infantile autism in an infant. Which clinical observation
supports this suspicion?
Answer: Lack of response to sounds.
Rationale: Children with autism often show poor auditory responsiveness due to
impaired central auditory processing, despite normal ear function.
3. A child can hear speech but struggles with low-pitched sounds and has no
speech delay. What is the expected hearing level?
Answer: Slight hearing impairment.
Rationale: Slight hearing loss affects soft and low-frequency sounds but usually
does not disrupt speech development.
,4. A third-grader with autism may have difficulty with what school-related
activity?
Answer: Working collaboratively with classmates on group projects.
Rationale: Autism often involves challenges with nonverbal social communication,
making peer interactions difficult.
5. A nurse caring for a child with cognitive impairment tells the parents, “I don’t
know what is going on with your child’s health.” Why is this concerning?
Answer: It reflects uncertainty and may undermine parental confidence.
Rationale: Nurses must provide clear, supportive communication; expressing
confusion without seeking answers creates anxiety and is unprofessional.
6. A child is diagnosed with conductive hearing loss. How should the nurse help
the parents cope?
Answer: Explain that conductive hearing loss is often treatable.
Rationale: Conductive loss can frequently be corrected medically or surgically;
reassurance helps reduce parental distress.
7. Parents of a 10-year-old diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder ask for the
cause. What is the most appropriate response?
Answer: “The exact cause of autism is still unknown.”
,Rationale: Current evidence suggests multiple contributing factors; no single cause
has been proven, and parents should not feel blamed.
8. A newborn has a short rib cage, Brushfield spots, and broad, short hands with
stubby fingers. What condition does this suggest?
Answer: Down syndrome.
Rationale: These are characteristic physical features seen in infants with trisomy
21.
9. Why is early detection of hearing impairment essential in infants?
Answer: Because hearing loss affects speech development.
Rationale: Speech and language skills depend on auditory input; infants learn to
speak by imitating sounds they hear.
10. A 5-year-old with bilateral eye patches is allowed to get up for the first time.
What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Orient the child to the surrounding environment.
Rationale: With both eyes patched, the child is at high risk for injury; orientation
promotes safety during mobility.
11. A child with strabismus has the right eye patched. What is the purpose of this
intervention?
, Answer: To strengthen vision in the left (weaker) eye.
Rationale: Covering the strong eye forces the weaker eye to work harder,
improving alignment and visual acuity.
12. A week-old newborn has a lower-than-expected birth weight for height. Which
physical feature would suggest Down syndrome?
Answer: A short, broad neck.
Rationale: Infants with Down syndrome often have a wide, short neck due to
characteristic musculoskeletal differences.
13. Parents report difficulty holding their newborn with Down syndrome. What is
the best nursing response?
Answer: “Babies with Down syndrome often have low muscle tone.”
Rationale: Hypotonia is a hallmark of Down syndrome and explains why the baby
feels floppy during handling.
Newborns with Down syndrome have joint hyperflexibility and low muscle tone.
This can make it difficult to hold the newborn because he or she can go limp like a
rag doll. This makes it difficult for the parents to embrace and provide warmth to
their newborn.
