Infant feeding recommendations — MCQs

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 2-month-old girl is brought to the physician for a well-child examination. She was born at 32 weeks' gestation and weighed 1616 g (3 lb 9 oz); she currently weighs 2466 g (5 lb 7 oz). She is exclusively breastfed and receives vitamin D supplementation. Physical examination shows no abnormalities apart from low height and weight. This patient is at increased risk for which of the following complications?

A 20-week-old infant is brought to an urgent care clinic by her mother because she has not been eating well for the past 2 days. The mother said her daughter has also been "floppy" since yesterday morning and has been unable to move or open her eyes since the afternoon of the same day. The child has recently started solid foods, like cereals sweetened with honey. There is no history of loose, watery stools. On examination, the child is lethargic with lax muscle tone. She does not have a fever or apparent respiratory distress. What is the most likely mode of transmission of the pathogen responsible for this patient’s condition?

A 5-day-old male presents to the pediatrician for a well visit. The patient has been exclusively breastfed since birth. His mother reports that he feeds for 30 minutes every two hours. She also reports that she often feels that her breasts are not completely empty after each feeding, and she has started using a breast pump to extract the residual milk. She has been storing the extra breastmilk in the freezer for use later on. The patient urinates 6-8 times per day and stools 3-4 times per day. His mother describes his stools as dark yellow and loose. The patient was born at 41 weeks gestation via cesarean section for cervical incompetence. His birth weight was 3527 g (7 lb 12 oz, 64th percentile), and his current weight is 3315 (7 lb 5 oz, 40th percentile). His temperature is 97.3°F (36.3°C), blood pressure is 62/45 mmHg, pulse is 133/min, and respirations are 36/min. His eyes are anicteric, and his abdomen is soft and non-distended. Which of the following is the best next step in management?

A 19-year-old African female refugee has been granted asylum in Stockholm, Sweden and has been living there for the past month. She arrived in Sweden with her 2-month-old infant, whom she exclusively breast feeds. Which of the following deficiencies is the infant most likely to develop?

A 4-week-old infant is brought to the physician by his mother because of blood-tinged stools for 3 days. He has also been passing whitish mucoid strings with the stools during this period. He was delivered at 38 weeks' gestation by lower segment transverse cesarean section because of a nonreassuring fetal heart rate. He was monitored in the intensive care unit for a day prior to being discharged. His 6-year-old brother was treated for viral gastroenteritis one week ago. The patient is exclusively breastfed. He is at the 50th percentile for height and 60th percentile for weight. He appears healthy and active. His vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows a soft and nontender abdomen. The liver is palpated just below the right costal margin. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. Test of the stool for occult blood is positive. A complete blood count and serum concentrations of electrolytes and creatinine are within the reference range. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

An 8-day-old male infant presents to the pediatrician with a high-grade fever and poor feeding pattern with regurgitation of milk after each feeding. On examination the infant showed abnormal movements, hypertonia, and exaggerated DTRs. The mother explains that during her pregnancy, she has tried to eat only unprocessed foods and unpasteurized dairy so that her baby would not be exposed to any preservatives or unhealthy chemicals. Which of the following characteristics describes the causative agent that caused this illness in the infant?

A 28-year-old gravida 1 para 1 woman is being seen in the hospital for breast tenderness. She reports that both breasts are swollen and tender. She is also having difficulty getting her newborn to latch. The patient gave birth 4 days ago by uncomplicated vaginal delivery. During her pregnancy, the patient developed gestational diabetes but was otherwise healthy. She took folate and insulin. She attended all her pre-natal appointments. Upon examination, the patient has a low grade fever, but all other vital signs are stable. Bilateral breasts appear engorged and are tender to palpation. There is no erythema, warmth, or induration. A lactation nurse is brought in to assist the patient and her newborn with more effective breastfeeding positions. The patient says a neighbor told her that breastmilk actually lacks in nutrients, and she asks what the best option is for the health of her newborn. Which of the following components is breastmilk a poor source of?

Three days after delivery, a 1100-g (2-lb 7-oz) newborn has a tonic seizure that lasts for 25 seconds. She has become increasingly lethargic over the past 18 hours. She was born at 31 weeks' gestation. Antenatal period was complicated by chorioamnionitis. Apgar scores were 3 and 6 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. She appears ill. Her pulse is 123/min, respirations are 50/min and irregular, and blood pressure is 60/30 mm Hg. Examination shows a tense anterior fontanelle. The pupils are equal and react sluggishly to light. Examination shows slow, conjugate back and forth movements of the eyes. Muscle tone is decreased in all extremities. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

Five weeks after delivery, a 1350-g (3-lb 0-oz) male newborn has respiratory distress. He was born at 26 weeks' gestation. He required intubation and mechanical ventilation for a month following delivery and has been on noninvasive pressure ventilation for 5 days. His temperature is 36.8°C (98.2°F), pulse is 148/min, respirations are 63/min, and blood pressure is 60/32 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on 40% oxygen shows an oxygen saturation of 91%. Examination shows moderate intercostal and subcostal retractions. Scattered crackles are heard in the thorax. An x-ray of the chest shows diffuse granular densities and basal atelectasis. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?