Childhood nutrition requirements by age — MCQs

You are counseling a pregnant woman who plans to breast-feed exclusively regarding her newborn's nutritional requirements. The child was born at home and the mother only plans for her newborn to receive vaccinations but no other routine medical care. Which vitamins should be given to the newborn?

A 7-day-old male infant presents to the pediatrician for weight loss. There is no history of excessive crying, irritability, lethargy, or feeding difficulty. The parents deny any history of fast breathing, bluish discoloration of lips/nails, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or seizures. He was born at full term by vaginal delivery without any perinatal complications and his birth weight was 3.6 kg (8 lb). Since birth he has been exclusively breastfed and passes urine six to eight times a day. His physical examination, including vital signs, is completely normal. His weight is 3.3 kg (7.3 lb); length and head circumference are normal for his age and sex. Which of the following is the next best step in the management of the infant?

A 17-year-old girl is brought to the physician for a physical examination prior to participating in sports. She has no history of serious illness. She is on the school's cheerleading team and is preparing for an upcoming competition. Menarche was at 13 years of age, and her last menstrual period was 4 months ago. She is 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) tall and weighs 45 kg (99 lb); BMI is 16.1 kg/m2. Examination shows pale skin with thin, soft body hair. The patient is at increased risk for which of the following complications?

A 24-year-old woman comes to the physician for preconceptional advice. She has been married for 2 years and would like to conceive within the next year. Menses occur at regular 30-day intervals and last 4 days with normal flow. She does not smoke or drink alcohol and follows a balanced diet. She takes no medications. She is 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) tall and weighs 55 kg (121 lb); BMI is 21.5 kg/m2. Physical examination, including pelvic examination, shows no abnormalities. She has adequate knowledge of the fertile days of her menstrual cycle. Which of the following is most appropriate recommendation for this patient at this time?

A 3-month-old African American boy presents to his pediatrician’s office for his routine well visit. He was born full-term from an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. He is exclusively breastfeeding and not receiving any medications or supplements. Today, his parents report no issues or concerns with their child. He is lifting his head for brief periods and smiling. He has received only 2 hepatitis B vaccines. Which of the following is the correct advice for this patient’s parents?

A 17-year-old girl is brought in by her mother due to rapid weight loss over the past month. The patient says she has been having episodes of diarrhea, which she attributes to laxatives she takes regularly to keep her weight down. She also says she has not had her period yet. The patient’s mother adds that the patient has been underperforming at school and acting very strangely at home. Her current BMI is 16.8 kg/m2. On physical examination, the skin on her limbs and around her neck is inflamed and erythematous. Her tongue is bright red and smooth. She states that over the last 2 weeks, she has been eating nothing but small portions of fruit. She is diagnosed with a vitamin deficiency. Which of the following statements is true about the vitamin most likely deficient in this patient?

An exclusively breast-fed, 4-month-old boy is brought to the physician by his mother for a routine examination. He was born at term and delivery was uncomplicated. He received all standard treatment and testing prior to being discharged from the hospital. Examination shows no abnormalities. Without receiving additional supplementation at this time, this infant is at greatest risk of developing which of the following conditions?

A 69-year-old man is brought to the emergency room by his daughter due to confusion. She reports that her father did not remember who she was yesterday, and his refrigerator was completely empty when she tried to make him lunch. She states that he was acting like himself when she visited him last week. She also notes that he has struggled with alcoholism for many years and has not seen a doctor in over two decades. She is unsure if he has any other chronic medical conditions. In the emergency room, the patient’s temperature is 101.2°F (38.4°C), pulse is 103/min, respirations are 22/min, and O2 saturation is 92% on room air. His BMI is 17.1 kg/m^2. Physical exam reveals an extremely thin and frail man who is not oriented to person, place, or time. As he is being examined, he becomes unresponsive and desaturates to 84%. He is intubated and admitted to the intensive care unit for what is found to be pneumonia, and the patient is started on total parental nutrition as he is sedated and has a history of aspiration from a prior hospitalization. Two days later, physical exam is notable for new peripheral edema. Laboratory tests at that time reveal the following: Serum: Na+: 133 mEq/L Cl-: 101 mEq/L K+: 2.4 mEq/L HCO3-: 24 mEq/L BUN: 22 mg/dL Glucose: 124 mg/dL Creatinine: 1.1 mg/dL Phosphate: 1.1 mg/dL Mg2+: 1.0 mg/dL Which of the following could have prevented the complication seen in this patient?

A 66-year-old man weighing 50 kg (110 lb) is admitted to the hospital because of sepsis complicated by acute respiratory distress syndrome. The physician decides to initiate total parenteral nutrition and prescribes short-term hypocaloric intake of 20 kcal/kg/day with 20% of the total energy requirement provided by proteins and 30% provided by fats. The physician calculates that a total volume of 1100 mL/day should be infused during the parenteral nutrition therapy to maintain fluid balance. A colloid containing 10 g/dL of albumin and an emulsion with a fat concentration of 33 g/dL are used to prepare parenteral nutrition modules. Which of the following is the most appropriate module to meet the carbohydrate requirement in this patient over the next 24 hours?

One week after undergoing sigmoidectomy with end colostomy for complicated diverticulitis, a 67-year-old man has upper abdominal pain. During the surgery, he was transfused two units of packed red blood cells. His postoperative course was uncomplicated. Two days ago, he developed fever. He is currently receiving parenteral nutrition through a central venous catheter. He has type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. He is oriented to person, but not to place and time. Prior to admission, his medications included metformin, valsartan, aspirin, and atorvastatin. His temperature is 38.9°C (102.0°F), pulse is 120/min, and blood pressure is 100/60 mmHg. Examination shows jaundice of the conjunctivae. Abdominal examination shows tenderness to palpation in the right upper quadrant. There is no rebound tenderness or guarding; bowel sounds are hypoactive. Laboratory studies show: Leukocytes 13,500 /mm3 Segmented neutrophils 75 % Serum Aspartate aminotransferase 140 IU/L Alanine aminotransferase 85 IU/L Alkaline phosphatase 150 IU/L Bilirubin Total 2.1 mg/dL Direct 1.3 mg/dL Amylase 20 IU/L Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?