Health Promotion and MaintenanceQuestion 309 of 2368
The nurse observes a 2-week-old infant with no other signs of distress have a pause in breathing that lasts 8 seconds. What is the best interpretation?
- The infant needs immediate suctioning
- This can be expected and is not abnormal without other distress signs
- The infant has an upper airway obstruction
- The nurse should notify the provider of apnea immediately
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Correct answer: This can be expected and is not abnormal without other distress signs
Periodic newborn breathing with apnea up to 10 seconds is not abnormal unless other signs of distress are present.
Source: Nursing Skills, 2nd edition (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2023), Respiratory Assessment: CHILDREN. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Practice the topic "Health Promotion and Maintenance"Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026