Skip to ContentGo to accessibility page
OpenStax Logo
Maternal Newborn Nursing

What Should the Nurse Do?

Maternal Newborn NursingWhat Should the Nurse Do?

What Should the Nurse Do?

James, a 2-day-old male, has been brought to the pediatric clinic for a routine checkup by his parents. James is exclusively breast-fed, and his parents express concern about his feeding patterns and voiding behavior. James’s mother reports that he has been feeding for shorter durations than expected, and they have noticed a decrease in the number of wet diapers. Additionally, James underwent circumcision shortly after birth, and his parents are uncertain about the appropriate care. James has a medical history of uncomplicated full-term birth with no complications during delivery. Vital signs include a heart rate of 130 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 30 breaths per minute, and a temperature of 98.6° F (37° C).
1 .
Analyze the significance of James being exclusively breast-fed and the reported decrease in wet diapers. How might breast-feeding patterns influence the expected voiding patterns, and what factors could contribute to the observed changes?
2 .
What immediate actions should the nurse take during James’s checkup to address the reported feeding concerns and the decrease in wet diapers? How would the nurse involve James’s parents in the care process?
Laura, a 2-day-old female, has been brought to the pediatric clinic by her parents due to concerns about jaundice. Laura’s parents noticed yellow discoloration of her skin and eyes. Laura was born at full term with an uneventful vaginal delivery. Her medical history includes ABO incompatibility between the mother and infant, as the mother is blood type O and the infant is blood type A. Laura is exclusively breast-fed, and her parents report challenges with breast-feeding initiation. Vital signs include a heart rate of 140 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 38 breaths per minute, and a temperature of 98.4° F (36.9° C).
3 .
Analyze how ABO incompatibility might contribute to the development of hyperbilirubinemia in Laura. How would you differentiate between ABO incompatibility-related jaundice and other causes?
4 .
Generate solutions to address Laura's breast-feeding challenges and improve milk transfer. How would you involve the parents in the care process and support successful breast-feeding while managing hyperbilirubinemia?
PreviousNext
Order a print copy
Citation/Attribution
Reuse and redistribution of this content in digital or print format:
  • This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's prior written permission.
  • This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, which means that you can reuse and modify the material only for noncommercial purposes, must attribute OpenStax, and must distribute any derivative works under the same license.
  • Any commercial printing of this textbook, including using a local or custom printer, must be approved by OpenStax, and proper citation provided.
  • OpenStax-copyrighted images, activities, assessments, and similar components of this book are subject to the same licensing – CC-BY-NC-SA. They can be used for noncommercial purposes with attribution. Commercial use requires permission.
  • Permission requests: Anyone who intends to incorporate this content (including text, images, and other components) into large language models, use it in AI offerings, use it commercially (including in print), and/or has questions about another use case is welcome to complete our reuse request form.
Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/maternal-newborn-nursing/pages/1-introduction

  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a noncommercial digital format, then for every page that includes OpenStax content, you must license the derivative work under the same CC-BY-NC-SA license as the original, and include on every digital page view the following attribution:

    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/maternal-newborn-nursing/pages/1-introduction

Citation information

The information below includes the information needed to generate citations in most major styles (APA, MLA, etc.); you must reformat and organize the information as needed to fit the requirements of the style. Use the information below to generate a citation. We recommend using a citation tool such as this one.

© Jul 23, 2026 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License. The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo, and Rice University name, and Rice University logo trademarks, or wordmarks are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.