The nurse is conducting a general survey on an infant for a health maintenance visit. During the survey, the infant has a liquid stool

Question

The mother becomes very angry and asks the nurse to change the diaper because she just can't "deal with the odor." Why is this mother's statement important to the nurse?
1. The child may have an illness that is causing diarrhea.
2. It may be a reflection of the mother-child relationship.
3. The mother may be feeding the child a poor diet.
4. The child may have an illness that is increasing the odor of stool.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 2

Observation of the interaction between the child and mother can provide information suggestive of child abuse. The mother's demonstration of disgust with any aspect of child's behavior or such things as odor or stool can be clues that there may be a problem with the relationship and should be evaluated further. The loose stool may be a sign of illness; however, there is not enough information to determine if the child is ill; may be the result of the child's diet; or may be a sign of illness; however, there is not enough information to determine if the child is ill, and the mother's response is inappropriate