The mother of a 9-year-old girl voices concern to the nurse regarding her daughter's breast development and breast tenderness. The nurse's best response to the mother is:

Question

1. "I understand your concern. 9 years old is very young for your daughter's breasts to be developing. Children this age are not equipped to deal with these changes.".
2. "I will let her primary care provider know that an exam is necessary due to your daughter's symptoms.".
3. "I wouldn't worry about it unless the tenderness continues or worsens.".
4. "Breast enlargement and tenderness is common between the ages of 9 to 13, but I will inform her primary care provider of your concerns.".

Answer 1

4
Rationale 1: "I understand your concern. 9 years old is very young for your daughter's breasts to be developing. Children this age are not equipped to deal with these changes," is incorrect since 9 years old is not too young for female breast development, and if proper information is given to the girl she will be able to deal with these changes.
Rationale 2: "I will let her primary care provider know that an exam is necessary due to your daughter's symptoms," does not directly address the mother's concerns; rather, it will instill more fear as this statement will lead the mother to believe there may be a problem.
Rationale 3: "I wouldn't worry about it unless the tenderness continues or worsens," disregards the mother's concerns, and although these symptoms are common for this age, the primary care provider should be aware of the situation.
Rationale 4: "Breast enlargement and tenderness is common between the ages of 9 to 13, but I will inform her primary care provider of your concerns," is the best response because it directly answers the concerns of the mother with facts, and the primary care provider will be made aware of the situation.