Question

Case Study 3: Jennifer (Teen mother/self-concept) Jennifer, is 17 years of age, she brings her 3-month old infant to the clinic for a routine check-up and immunizations. They live 1 hour away from the clinic in a small community with no public transit. The teen mother has dropped out of high school, having completed up to grade 10. She is accompanied by her boyfriend (not the biological father) and the two of them are arguing loudly in the waiting room. The baby is crying and very irritable, sitting in her car seat. There is no attempt to comfort the infant by either caregiver. As you approach the family, you notice a strong odour of cigarette smoke and urine. The infant is wearing clothing that is soiled with dried vomit. The mother states her baby has been drooling and spitting up a lot lately. Mom states she has been breastfeeding because it is “cheaper”, and now uses formula and rice cereal at bedtime to help the baby sleep. The infants weight today is the same as her 2-month check-up. Mom states the baby has not yet smiled or attempted to roll over. Furthermore, the client confides in you that her biggest concerns right now are how she feels about herself and how she looks.

1. While providing nursing care to this infant refer to Erikson’s theory and Freud’s stages of development to help you understand the developmental stage of the child. Explain the developmental stage and how this stage influences your approach to the care you will provide.

Answer 1

The development of any infant passes through various milestones. It includes gross motor, fine motor, language, social. Here the infant is 3 month old. This 3 month old infant is supposed to have the following milestone.

Movement milestone :Raises head and chest when lying on stomach,support upper body with arm when lying on stomach, grasp and shakes hand toy.

Visual and hearing milestone :follow moving object, watches face intently,smiles at the the sound of your voice, begins to imitate some sounds.

Social milestone :begin to develop smile.

Here the infant is having delayed milestone and probably developmental delay. One of the cause may be the smoking habit of the mother that affected the child during intrauterine period. So while giving care to such infant, counselling of the parents is very important to prevent such problems in the future.