QLexNursing

🍼 A. Cover the scale with a clean sheet of paper

🍼 A clean sheet of paper or disposable barrier should always be placed on the infant scale to prevent cross-contamination between patients.

🍼 This is a standard infection control practice in pediatric settings, especially for infants who often come in contact with multiple surfaces during assessments.

🍼 It helps protect the baby’s skin and maintains a clean, sanitary environment for all patients.

📏 B. Measure the infant's length from the crown of the head to the heels of the feet

📏 For infants under 24 months, recumbent length (measured while lying down) is the proper method.

📏 The nurse should gently stretch the infant’s body, measuring from the top of the head (crown) to the heels while keeping the legs extended.

📏 This method gives an accurate assessment of linear growth, which is essential for tracking the infant’s physical development.

⚖️ D. Ensure the scale is balanced to "0" before weighing the infant

⚖️ Zeroing the scale before placing the infant ensures the accuracy of the weight measurement.

⚖️ Any imbalance could lead to an incorrect reading, which may affect nutritional assessments or growth chart calculations.

⚖️ This step is especially critical in pediatrics, where small variations in weight can be clinically significant.