RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2023
Child Health Nursing (Pediatrics)
Easy

When do you called child as a premature

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2023

Explanation

  • A birth weight of 2.5 kg (2500 grams) or less is the standard definition for Low Birth Weight (LBW) according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
  • While prematurity is technically defined by gestational age (less than 37 weeks), low birth weight is a critical indicator used to identify newborns who need special care.
  • Most preterm babies are also LBW, making '2.5 kg of birth weight or less than' the correct answer in the context of identifying an at-risk neonate based on weight.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: A birth weight of 3.5 kg is considered a healthy and normal weight for a full-term infant, not an indicator of prematurity or low birth weight.
  • Option B: A birth weight of 4.0 kg (4000 g) or more is defined as macrosomia, meaning 'large for gestational age'. This is the opposite of being premature or having a low birth weight.
  • Option C: A birth weight of 3.0 kg is within the normal, healthy range for a newborn and does not indicate prematurity.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Definition of Low Birth Weight and its relation to prematurity as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • Nurses use birth weight and gestational age to assess a newborn's risk for complications like respiratory distress, hypoglycemia, and hypothermia. An accurate initial assessment is crucial for timely intervention.
  • What if? If a baby is born at 38 weeks (full-term) but weighs 2.4 kg, they are not premature but are classified as 'Small for Gestational Age' (SGA). They still require close monitoring for complications associated with low birth weight, similar to a preterm LBW infant.
How to Approach the Question
  • Step 1: Analyze the question. The question asks to define a 'premature' child using birth weight options.
  • Step 2: Recall the technical definitions. Remember that 'premature' strictly refers to gestational age (less than 37 weeks), while 'low birth weight' refers to weight (less than 2.5 kg).
  • Step 3: Evaluate the options provided. All options are based on weight. This indicates the question is using birth weight as a practical proxy for identifying an at-risk, often premature, infant.
  • Step 4: Identify the standard clinical cutoff. The most critical and universally recognized weight cutoff for an at-risk newborn is 2.5 kg. A weight below this defines Low Birth Weight (LBW).
  • Step 5: Select the option that matches this standard. The option '2.5 kg of birth weight or less than' directly corresponds to the definition of LBW and is the best answer among the choices.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Definition of Low Birth Weight and its relation to prematurity.
  • Stem keywords: child, premature, birth weight
  • Lead-in keywords: When do you call
  • Clinical cues: Age/sex group narrows the expected diagnosis, intervention, or normal reference range.

Question ID

QAewjWPhsmROfTwd57Qplk

Reference Book

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 30-32

E6 Text Book Of Pediatric Nursing 3rd Panchali Pal — Part 1 (pp 36-238 of 713) p. 177-179

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2189-2191

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