Newborn Nursing Care Q 27
The nurse hears the mother of a 5-pound neonate telling a friend on the telephone, “As soon as I get home, I’ll give him some cereal to get him to gain weight.” The nurse recognizes the need for further instruction about infant feeding and tells her:
A. “If you give the baby cereal, be sure to use Rice to prevent allergy.”
B. “The baby is not able to swallow cereal, because he is too small.”
C. “The infant’s digestive tract cannot handle complex carbohydrates like cereal.”
D. “If you want him to gain weight, just double his daily intake of formula.”
Correct Answer: C. “The infant’s digestive tract cannot handle complex carbohydrates like cereal.”
Option C: An infant’s digestive system is still developing and is not yet ready to carry out the complex tasks of masticating (liquefying) and digesting (breaking down) foods. The breakdown of more complex starches occurs in the small intestine and involves an enzyme called pancreatic amylase. There are widely respected experts in pediatric gastroenterology, who assert that this essential enzyme does not appear until close to eighteen months of age and certainly not before twelve months. Feeding infants foods that they cannot digest properly merely leads to the decomposition of these foods in their intestines and the associated challenges which result.