Need Help...nursing Diagnosis

[heather092800, ADN]

Hi.....just need a little nudge with your help.

I have a newborn I need a ND on. Mother is GBS+. I have risk for infection, but Im not sure how to work the r/t. Could you say

Risk for Infection r/t ....oh man, I dont know. Mothers GBS+ is considered a diagnosis, so I cant use that...right?

Thanks in advance!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

a nursing diagnosis represents a problem that the patient has and is always based upon symptoms the patient has that are determined through assessment.

think about what you know about the assessment findings of a normal newborn compared to an adult. what's different? for one thing newborns can't regulate their body temperature which is why we don't leave them exposed to the room atmosphere for very long with just a diaper covering them. that's ineffective thermoregulation r/t immature compensation for changes in environmental temperature. some newborns just have a few difficulties with excessive secretions in the respiratory track (the big hint here is that the nurses will keep a bulb syringe nearby the baby) so ineffective airway clearance can be used. they also have a stump from the umbilical cord hanging off their future belly button. do you? are they treating this cord stump? if it's inflamed or there are umbilical cord problems there is risk for infection, so you can use risk for infection r/t break in skin integrity at umbilical cord site ([color=#3366ff]risk for infection). if the baby has been circumcised that is another reason for a risk of infection. is this baby breastfeeding? if so, use effective breastfeeding. and, some babies just don't start feeding well at first by breast or bottle--it happens. these kids are imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements r/t poor infant feeding behaviors ([color=#3366ff]imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements).

if the baby is under the bililight for hyperbilirubinemia the nursing diagnosis to use is risk for injury r/t phototherapy ([color=#3366ff]risk for injury).