RN Exam Practice
Physiological AdaptationQuestion 1164 of 2368

A parent asks why a stuffy nose is such a concern for their 2-month-old. Which response by the nurse is best?

  1. Infants breathe mainly through the nose, so a blocked nose can lead to respiratory distress.
  2. Infants have wide airways that fill quickly with thick mucus when they are congested.
  3. Infants breathe mainly through the mouth, so nasal congestion mostly causes dry lips.
  4. Infants cannot cough at all, so congestion always turns into pneumonia.
Show answer

Correct answer: Infants breathe mainly through the nose, so a blocked nose can lead to respiratory distress.

Infants are obligatory nose breathers. An occluded nasal passage can cause respiratory distress.

Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Childhood Respiratory Disorders: Life Span Considerations. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Physiological Adaptation"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026