An infant in the newborn nursery has hyperbilirubinemia. Which ...

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An infant in the newborn nursery has hyperbilirubinemia. Which assessment would the nurse recognize as pathologic hyperbilirubinemia?
 
  a. Jaundice was present the first day of life.
  b. The infant was born at 37 weeks' gestation.
  c. The total serum bilirubin level was 6 mg/dL on the second day of life.
  d. The total serum bilirubin has decreased 6 mg/dL over the past 3 days.

Question 2

All of the following mothers have recently given birth. Which newborn is most likely to have erythroblastosis fetalis?
 
  a. An Rh+ mother has an Rh+ baby.
  b. An Rh+ mother has an Rh baby.
  c. An Rh mother has an Rh baby.
  d. An Rh mother has an Rh+ baby.

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Answer to Question 1

ANS: A
Pathologic hyperbilirubinemia may be present the first day of life, whereas physiologic hyperbilirubinemia occurs around the third day of life and is usually transient. Although preterm infants are more likely to have pathologic hyperbilirubinemia, it can affect term infants as well. A serum bilirubin level of 6 mg/dL is normal for a newborn. The condition would be considered pathologic if the serum bilirubin went up (not down) by more than 5 mg/dL.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: D
When an Rh-negative mother is carrying an Rh-positive fetus, the mother makes antibodies against the Rh-positive red blood cells. The maternal antibodies enter the fetal circulation and destroy the fetal red blood cells.

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TYSM

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