A perinatal nurse is assessing a woman who is approximately 10 weeks pregnant. The woman smells like ...

ANS: A, B, E
If the nurse smells cigarette smoke, assessing the woman for smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke is appropriate. Exposure to nicotine causes vasoconstriction and deprives the fetus of essential oxygen and nutrients needed for growth and development. Consequences include low birth weight and small-for-gestational-age babies. If the woman stops smoking during the first trimester, the baby will have a similar birth weight to babies whose mothers did not smoke. The absolute number of cigarettes per day is not as important as determining if she does smoke and advising her to quit now. Childhood behavior problems are often attributed to cocaine use during pregnancy.