A woman is 15 weeks pregnant with her first baby. She asks how ...

[kodithompson]

A woman is 15 weeks pregnant with her first baby. She asks how long it will be before she feels the baby move. The best answer is:
 
  a. You should have felt the baby move by now.
  b. Within the next month, you should start to feel fluttering sensations.
  c. The baby is moving; however, you can't feel it yet.
  d. Some babies are quiet, and you don't feel them move.

Question 2

A new mother asks the nurse about the white substance covering her infant. The nurse explains that the purpose of vernix caseosa is to:
 
  a. Protect the fetal skin from amniotic fluid.
  b. Promote normal peripheral nervous system development.
  c. Allow transport of oxygen and nutrients across the amnion.
  d. Regulate fetal temperature.

[sarahccccc]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
Maternal perception of fetal movement usually begins 16 to 20 weeks after conception. Because this is her first pregnancy, movement is felt toward the later part of the 16- to 20-week time period. Stating that you should have felt the baby move by now is incorrect and may be alarming to the patient. Fetal movement should be felt by 16 to 20 weeks. If movement is not felt by the end of that time, further assessment will be necessary.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
Prolonged exposure to amniotic fluid during the fetal period could result in breakdown of the skin without the protection of the vernix caseosa. Normal development of the peripheral nervous system is dependent on nutritional intake of the mother. The amnion is the inner membrane that surrounds the fetus. It is not involved in the oxygen and nutrient exchange. The amniotic fluid aids in maintaining fetal temperature.

[kodithompson]

Excellent

[scikid]

Great answer, keep it coming