As a public health nurse, you are called in to evaluate a baby girl who has rece

Question

As a public health nurse, you are called in to evaluate a baby girl who has recently been placed in foster care. The baby has moved to your area with her foster parents. The birth parents are nowhere to be found. The baby is 5 months old, weighs 11 pounds, is 23.5 inches long, and has a head circumference of 16 inches.

a. Plot the anthropometric measurements in the above description on the growth charts available at http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm and indicate in what percentile the measurements fall. Evaluate the results.

b. Explain why the weight-for-length measurements appear normal.

c. You obtain information from the hospital where the baby was born. At birth, the baby weighed 3 pounds, was 16 inches long, and was born 2 months prematurely. Knowing this information, reevaluate the anthropometric measurements you obtained at 5 months. Based on this new information, evaluate the nutrition and growth status of the infant.

d. The foster parents report that they are adding cereal to the baby’s evening feeding to promote sleeping through the night. What advice can be shared with the parents regarding cereal in bottles and sleeping through the night?

Thanks in advance!

Explanation / Answer

B. Growth is not only a result of nutrition but also a result of inherited factors. Ethnicity can influence a child’s growth patterns, and so some countries have their own growth charts.

Length is the linear measurement for infants up to 24 months. Length measurements (instead of height) are also taken for children 24 to 36 months who cannot stand without assistance.

Length is measured when children are in a recumbent (lying down) position. The most accurate way to measure length is by using a calibrated length board. Length boards should have a fixed headpiece and a moveable foot piece perpendicular to the surface of the board.

Weight is a measurement taken throughout the lifespan to help determine trends and current nutritional status.

Infant weight can be accurately measured using one of several different pieces of equipment. If available, a pan-type pediatric scale allows a child to be weighed while lying down. These pediatric scales are either electronic or beam scales with non-detachable weights, and are accurate to the nearest 10 gram. Another option is a hanging scale. A hanging scale needs to be attached to a sturdy structure (e.g. building rafter, door frame) and the child is suspended from the scale in weighing pants.

D.I have had two biological children, both sleeping through the night at 8 weeks old. I also had one foster child who had been ripped away from her mother and was also born exposed to drugs. This baby started sleeping through the night at 3.5 months old. My secret is using the technique in "The Baby Whisperer" in addition to "The Happiest Baby On The Block." The 4 best secrets to start right from newborn are #1. "The Happiest Baby On The Block" cd - I play the womb sounds all night. and #2 Swaddle Swaddle Swaddle! Take time to learn it well, make sure they cannot get their arms out during the night. My drug exposed foster daughter screamed when I first put her arms down into the swaddle, but soon enough she finally totally relaxed. #3 Create a routine at same time every night (example: quick bath, pjs-make sure they are soft on the inside and no scratchy logos or tags, swaddle, then feed in quiet dark room, put in crib while still awake if possible.)#4 Dream Feed - right before your own bedtime, quietly lift your baby out of the crib and feed...try to keep baby asleep while eating or only slightly wake. Since baby is relaxed during this feed, there is no need to burp, just gently put back in crib. For older babies or babies who stop sleeping through the night, please refer to "The Baby Whisperer" book, you can get it at any library.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.