A new mother is holding her 2-hour-old son. The delivery occurred on the due date. His Apgar score was 9 at both 1 and 5 minutes. The mother asks the nurse why her son was so wide awake right after birth, and now is sleeping so soundly. What is the nurse's best response?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse's best response is to explain that the newborn is in the sleep phase, which is a normal part of the newborn's initial hours and days of life. Newborns often have periods of wakefulness followed by sleep phases as they adjust to life outside the womb.

A New Mother Is Holding Her 2-Hour-Old Son