A nurse is evaluating a 48-hour-old newborn prior to discharge. The newborn's birth weight… — NCLEX-RN

A nurse is evaluating a 48-hour-old newborn prior to discharge. The newborn's birth weight was $3,500\text{ g}$ , and the current weight is $3,255\text{ g}$ . Calculate the newborn's percentage of body weight loss. Enter only the numeric value.

Answer: 7 %

Answer

The correct answer is 7.

In the first few days of life, it is normal for a newborn to lose up to

10\%

of their birth weight due to fluid shifts, meconium passage, and limited initial intake. To calculate the percentage of weight loss, subtract the current weight from the birth weight to find the total loss (

3,500\text{ g} - 3,255\text{ g} = 245\text{ g}

). Next, divide the lost weight by the original birth weight (

245\text{ g} \div 3,500\text{ g} = 0.07

) and multiply by

100

to convert to a percentage (

7\%

). Since the loss is less than

10\%

, this is an expected physiological finding that requires continued routine care.

Step-by-Step Solution

Calculate the total weight lost in grams.

3,500 - 3,255 = 245\text{ g}

Determines the absolute amount of fluid and tissue weight the newborn has lost since birth.

Divide the total weight lost by the initial birth weight.

245 \div 3,500 = 0.07

Finds the proportion of weight loss relative to the starting physiological baseline.

Multiply the proportion by

100

to get the percentage.

0.07 \times 100 = 7\%

Converts the decimal value into a percentage for standard clinical evaluation.

Key Concept

Neonatal physiological weight loss

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