A nurse is caring for a newborn who was delivered 30 minutes ago.
Which action is the most appropriate intervention?
A nurse is caring for a newborn who was delivered 30 minutes ago.
Which action is the most appropriate intervention?
A. Bathe the newborn to remove blood and amniotic fluid
[3%]
B. Place the newborn under a radiant warmer with only a diaper
[4%]
C. Place the newborn skin-to-skin on the mother’s chest and cover with a warm blanket
[90%]
D. Swaddle the newborn tightly and place near a window for sunlight
[2%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Maternal & Newborn Health
Lesson
Newborn
Client Need
Test Plan
Health Promotion and Maintenance
Related Topic
Ante/Intra/Postpartum and Newborn Care
Item Type
Item Type
Analysis
Explanation
Choice C is correct. Skin-to-skin contact stabilizes the newborn's temperature by using the mother’s body heat, promotes bonding, enhances breastfeeding, and improves cardiorespiratory stability. This method reduces heat loss through evaporation, conduction, convection, and radiation.
Choice A is incorrect. Bathing the newborn immediately after birth increases the risk of heat loss via evaporation, especially since the infant is wet and has a high surface area to body mass ratio.
Choice B is incorrect. While a radiant warmer is useful if skin-to-skin is not possible, placing the newborn under the warmer with only a diaper may expose them to convective heat loss. It's better used as a backup, not the first-line method if the mother is available for skin-to-skin.
Choice D is incorrect. Swaddling helps retain heat, but placing the newborn near a window can expose them to drafts or excessive sunlight, leading to either heat loss or overheating, depending on the window environment.
Learning Objective
Identify appropriate interventions to support thermoregulation in the immediate newborn period.
Related Videos
2 Key Topics
Pediatric Vital Signs
31.1 Immediate Newborn Evaluation
Additional Info
✓ Newborns are at high risk for heat loss due to a large surface area-to-weight ratio and immature thermoregulatory mechanisms.
✓ They rely on non-shivering thermogenesis, using brown adipose tissue to produce heat.
✓ Cold stress can lead to hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, and metabolic acidosis.
✓ Skin-to-skin contact supports thermoregulation, breastfeeding initiation, bonding, and blood glucose stabilization.
✓ Bathing should be delayed until the newborn's temperature is stable (≥36.5°C/97.7°F) and successful feeding is established.
