Which of the following situations would be most deserving of a pediatrician's attention?
A) The mother of an infant 2 days postpartum notes that her baby has intermittent periods of hyperventilation followed by slow respirations or even brief periods of apnea.
B) A volunteer in the nursery notes that one of the infants, aged 2 weeks, appears unable to breathe through his mouth, even when his nose is congested.
C) A neonate is visibly flaring her nostrils on inspiration.
D) A midwife notes that a newborn infant's chest is retracting on inspiration and that the child is grunting.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Retraction and grunting indicate a significant increase in the work of breathing that can be indicative of respiratory distress syndrome, a situation that would require medical intervention. Periods of hyperventilation interspersed with reduced breathing rates are common during the transition to postpartum ventilation, and infants are commonly unable to mouth breathe. Nostril flaring could be a sign of dyspnea, but it can also be a compensatory mechanism that the infant uses to increase oxygen intake; this situation would not be considered as serious as an infant who has chest retractions and grunting.

Which of the Following Situations Would Be Most Deserving of a Pediatrician's