Question

A full-term baby girl was born 1 hour ago. She weighs 7 lb. 8 oz. The baby’s heat rate is 120 and respirations are 38. Auxiliary temperature, taken just after birth, was 98 degrees F. Following initial skin to skin bonding with the mothers, the father is now holding the baby loosely wrapped, counting fingers and toes, and so on. The baby is lying with flexed arms and legs, and is not shivering; however, you stroke the baby’s leg and notices the skin feels cold.

1. What should you do and why?

2. What risk factors for hypothermia are present in the environment?

3. Define these mechanisms of heat loss and what nursing interventions can be done to prevent hypothermia: a. Conduction

b. Convection

c. Evaporation

d. Radiation

4. Once the infant is warm, the nurse conducts the initial newborn assessment? List the normal findings of this assessment.

5. Finally, you prepare to give Vitamin K and Erythromycin ointment. What medication teaching should you provide to the parents? Be sure to address the reasons for the medication administration.

Answer 1

Answer: It is important to provide warm environment to the infant as well as insulate the infant. It is important to do so to maintain the body temperature of the infant because hypothermia may cause brain damage.

The risk factors for hypothermia that are present in the environment for the newborn as the high surface area to volume ratio, the infants lose heat more. This may lead to brain damage, infections etc.

Conduction : It includes direct heat loss from one molecule to the another. Specially in the case when the person is sleepingbon the floor, the heat can be loss.

Nurse should intervene about the things that is directly attached with the new born and it's temperature as it may create more heat loss.

Convection : Loss of heat takes place by the movement of air or water near the body.

• The nurse should intervene the room temperature.
• Maintain the temperature warm.
• Avoid any kind of moisture presence.