What criteria should the nurse use to evaluate to determine if an infa

What criteria should the nurse use to evaluate to determine if an infant’s regurgitation, or spitting up, should be further investigated?

1. How often the baby spits up
2. How much the baby spits up at a time
3. If the baby is gaining weight adequately
4. The consistency of the regurgitated matter

ANSWER

Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: Many babies spit up after every meal and some seem to spit up a great deal.
Rationale 2: How much the baby spits up at a time is not included in criteria to evaluate if the regurgitation should be further investigated.
Rationale 3: As long as the baby is gaining weight adequately, it is not abnormal for regurgitation or spitting up to occur.
Rationale 4: The consistency of the regurgitated material may be thin (just consumed) or curdled (has been partially digested) and either case is normal.