RN Nursing · Newborn Care and Parent Teaching · Practice question
A nurse is providing postpartum education about newborn feedings to a client who has recently given birth. Which of the following information should the nurse include about formula feeding?
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Prepare bottles for nighttime feedings.
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Burp the newborn at the end of the feeding
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✓
Offer additional feedings if the newborn displays hunger cues
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Ensure the newborn finishes the entire feeding
Answer & explanation
Correct: Offer additional feedings if the newborn displays hunger cues
When formula feeding, the nurse should teach parents to offer additional feedings if the newborn displays hunger cues rather than feeding on a rigid schedule or insisting the entire bottle be finished. Hunger cues include rooting, sucking motions, bringing hands to the mouth, and increased alertness or fussiness. Responsive or demand feeding is recommended for newborns because it supports adequate weight gain and respects individual nutritional needs. Preparing bottles for nighttime feedings in advance is unsafe because formula left at room temperature for more than one to two hours can support bacterial growth; formula should be prepared fresh or refrigerated and used within 24 hours. Burping the newborn only at the end of the feeding is incorrect; the recommended practice is to burp the newborn at the middle and end of each feeding, or approximately every one to two ounces, to expel swallowed air and prevent discomfort and spitting up. Insisting the newborn finish the entire feeding is contraindicated because it overrides the infant's satiety cues and can lead to overfeeding. Like breastfeeding, formula feeding should follow infant hunger and fullness signals, and leftover formula in a used bottle must be discarded within one hour.
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