Deck 3: Prenatal Development

Question 1

A woman missed her menstrual period 1 week ago and has come to the doctor's office for a pregnancy test. The nurse knows that the placental hormone measured in pregnancy tests is:

A) Progesterone
B) Estrogen
C) Human chorionic gonadotropin
D) Human placental lactogen

Answer 1

Human chorionic gonadotropin

Question 2

During an ultrasound, two amnions and two placentas are observed. The nurse is aware that this pregnancy will result in:

A) Dizygotic twins
B) Monozygotic twins
C) Conjoined twins
D) Different-sex twins

Answer 2

Dizygotic twins

Question 3

The nurse informs a class of expectant parents that the fetus is first considered viable at the age of:

A) 14 weeks
B) 20 weeks
C) 25 weeks
D) 30 weeks

Answer 3

20 weeks

Question 4

When the client asks when her baby's heart will begin to pump blood, the nurse replies that blood circulation begins at the:

A) End of week 4
B) Beginning of week 8
C) End of week 16
D) Beginning of week 24

Question 5

The total number of chromosomes contained in a mature sperm or ovum is:

A) 22
B) 23
C) 44
D) 46

Question 6

The nurse explains that although the foramen ovale closes functionally about 2 hours after birth, it can be reopened by:

A) Esophageal atresia
B) Gastric dilation
C) Cold stress
D) Respiratory distress

Question 7

A pregnant woman states, "It doesn't matter if I have a boy or a girl." The nurse explains that:

A) The sex chromosome of the fertilized ovum determines the gender of the child.
B) When the sperm and ovum are united, there is a 75% chance the child will be a girl.
C) When the pH of the female reproductive tract is acidic, the child will be a girl.
D) If a sperm carrying a Y chromosome fertilizes an ovum, then a boy is produced.

Question 8

The nurse explains that if one parent has a dominant gene and the other parent does not, the percentage of children carrying the dominant gene will be:

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 100%

Question 9

The nurse, while outlining the stages of fetal development, emphasizes the point in gestation when the embryo enters the third stage of prenatal development, which is:

A) 2 weeks
B) 4 weeks
C) 9 weeks
D) 16 weeks

Question 10

In fetal circulation, the purpose of the ductus venosus is to bypass the:

A) Liver
B) Heart
C) Lungs
D) Kidneys

Question 11

The embryonic membrane that contains fingerlike projections on its surface that attach to the uterine wall is the:

A) Amnion
B) Yolk sac
C) Chorion
D) Decidua basalis

Question 12

At what point in prenatal development do the lungs begin to produce surfactant?

A) 17 weeks
B) 20 weeks
C) 25 weeks
D) 30 weeks

Question 13

The nurse explains that twins are frequently below average birth weight because of inadequate:

A) Space in the uterus
B) Blood supply
C) Maternal health
D) Placental nutrition

Question 14

Using a diagram, the nurse points out the common site for fertilization, which is the:

A) Lower segment of the uterus
B) Outer third of the fallopian tube near the ovary
C) Upper portion of the uterus
D) Area of the fallopian tube farthest from the ovary

Question 15

A pregnant woman is having an ultrasound because there is some concern about the implantation of the zygote. The nurse explains that the usual location for implantation is the:

A) Upper section of the posterior uterine wall
B) Lower portion of the uterus near the cervical os
C) Inner third of the fallopian tube near the uterus
D) Lateral aspect of the uterine wall

Question 16

A woman who is 25 weeks pregnant asks the nurse what her fetus looks like. The nurse bases her response on the understanding that one physical characteristic present in a 25-week-old fetus is:

A) Lanugo covering the body
B) Blood vessels visible through the skin
C) Skin that is pink and smooth
D) Eyes that are closed

Question 17

A woman tells the nurse that she and her husband are trying to get pregnant. The woman asks the nurse for information about optimal conditions for fertilization to occur. The nurse tells the woman:

A) "Once in the cervix, sperm are viable for 12 to 24 hours."
B) "It takes 4 to 5 hours for the sperm to reach the fallopian tube."
C) "An ovum can survive for 24 hours following ovulation."
D) "Ovulation must occur within 24 hours after coitus."

Question 18

When preparing to teach a class about prenatal development, the nurse would include information about folic acid supplementation because it is known to prevent:

A) Congenital heart defects
B) Neural tube defects
C) Mental retardation
D) Premature birth

Question 19

The nurse explains that the hormone responsible for converting the endometrium into decidual cells for implantation is:

A) Estrogen
B) Human chorionic gonadotropin
C) Human placental lactogen
D) Progesterone

Question 20

The nurse explains to a pregnant patient that blood is circulating through the placenta to the fetus by way of:

A) One umbilical vein
B) Two umbilical veins
C) One umbilical artery
D) Two umbilical arteries

Question 21

While teaching a class on fetal development to a class of high school students, the nurse emphasizes that the fetus develops from primary germ layers, which are: Select all that apply.

A) Endoderm
B) Blastoderm
C) Ectoderm
D) Plastoderm
E) Mesoderm

Question 22

The nurse clarifies that the functions of the amniotic fluid are: Select all that apply.

A) Maintaining an even temperature
B) Impeding excessive fetal movement
C) Lubricating fetal skin
D) Acting as reservoir for nutrients
E) Acting as cushion for fetus

Question 23

The nurse explains that prior to fertilization each cell is reduced from 46 chromosomes to 23 chromosomes. This is referred to as the ____________________ number.

Question 24

Organize the developmental stages in the correct order.

A) Fetus
B) Zygote
C) Embryo
D) Blastocyst
E) Morula

Question 25

The component of development that programs the genetic code into the nucleus of the cell is ____________.