Maternity Nursing: Intrapartum Q 52
A pregnant client is admitted to the labor room. An assessment is performed, and the nurse notes that the client’s hemoglobin and hematocrit levels are low, indicating anemia. The nurse determines that the client is at risk for which of the following?
A. A loud mouth
B. Low self-esteem
C. Hemorrhage
D. Postpartum infections
Correct Answer: D. Postpartum infections
Anemic women have a greater likelihood of cardiac decompensation during labor, postpartum infection, and poor wound healing. Good nutrition is the best way to prevent anemia if the woman is pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Eating foods high in iron content (such as dark green leafy vegetables, red meat, fortified cereals, eggs, and peanuts) can help ensure that she maintains the supply of iron her body needs to function properly. The obstetrician will also prescribe vitamins to ensure that the woman has enough iron and folic acid. Make sure to get at least 27 mg of iron each day. If the woman does become anemic during pregnancy, it can usually be treated by taking iron supplements.
Option A: The amount of blood in the body increases by about 20-30 percent, which increases the supply of iron and vitamins that the body needs to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to other cells in the body.
Option B: Mild anemia is normal during pregnancy due to an increase in blood volume. More severe anemia, however, can put the baby at higher risk for anemia later in infancy. In addition, if the mother is significantly anemic during the first two trimesters, she is at greater risk for having a preterm delivery or low-birth-weight baby. Being anemic also burdens the mother by increasing the risk of blood loss during labor and making it more difficult to fight infections.
Option C: Anemia does not specifically present a risk for hemorrhage. Severe anemia may weaken uterine muscular strength or lower resistance to infectious diseases, contributing to postpartum hemorrhage and subsequent maternal mortality. However, the severity of anemia that places a woman at a greater risk of experiencing postpartum hemorrhage or a debilitating and clinically relevant blood loss has not been investigated. Indeed, the impact of anemia on the extent of blood loss at childbirth and postpartum is not well-understood.