Maternity Nursing Q 147
When assessing an 18-month-old, the nurse notes a characteristic protruding abdomen. Which of the following would explain the rationale for this finding?
A. Increased food intake owing to age.
B. Underdeveloped abdominal muscles.
C. Bow Legged posture.
D. Linear growth curve.
Correct Answer: B. Underdeveloped abdominal muscles
Underdeveloped abdominal musculature gives the toddler a characteristically protruding abdomen. It is generally normal for toddlers to have potbellies. By the time children reach school age, the potbelly will most often disappear and their bodies seem more proportionate. The belly should feel soft and NOT tender.
Option A: During toddlerhood, food intake decreases, not increases. Feeding toddlers (ages 1 to 3) can often be challenging. That’s because several developmental changes are happening at this time. Toddlers are striving for independence and control. Their growth rate slows down and with this comes a decrease in appetite.
Option C: Toddlers are characteristically bowlegged because the leg muscles must bear the weight of the relatively large trunk. When babies are born with bow legs it’s because some of the bones had to rotate (twist) slightly when they were growing in the womb to fit into the small space. This is called physiological bow legs. It’s considered a normal part of a child’s growth and development.
Option D: Toddler growth patterns occur in a steplike, not linear pattern. Between ages 1 and 2, a toddler will gain only about 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms). Weight gain will remain at about 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms) per year between ages 2 to 5. Between ages 2 to 10 years, a child will grow at a steady pace. A final growth spurt begins at the start of puberty, sometime between ages 9 to 15.