| Course | NU143 Maternal Infant Nursing |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 9 |
| Paper type | Concept map |
| Length | About 860 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BSN (prelicensure) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NU143 Unit 9
Five Weeks Early and Tired at the Breast: A Concept Map Centered on a Composite Late Preterm Boy Born at 35 Weeks and 2 Days, Linking Weak Feeding to Low Glucose, Jaundice, Cooling and Weight Loss
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NU143: Maternal Infant Nursing
Unit 9 Concept Map
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The newborn is composite; the map is given as nodes and labeled links because the original is a diagram, and values are bracketed where illustrative.
The Baby at the Center
Baby boy of [Ms. A.], composite, born by vaginal birth at 35 weeks and 2 days after preterm labor. Birth weight [2,390] g. Apgar scores [8] and [9]. He breathed well at birth and was placed skin-to-skin. By [12] hours he had breastfed four times, each time falling asleep within five minutes. Glucose at [three] hours was [41] mg/dL. His temperature dropped to [36.4] C when he was unwrapped for an examination.
Nodes
1. Late preterm birth, 34 to 36 weeks.
2. Immature suck, swallow and breathing coordination.
3. Low energy stores and less brown fat.
4. Weak, short feeds.
5. Low blood glucose.
6. Temperature instability.
7. Immature liver processing of bilirubin.
8. Rising jaundice.
9. Fewer stools, so bilirubin is reabsorbed from the gut.
10. Weight loss and dehydration.
11. Drowsiness, which makes feeds even weaker.
12. Parental worry about "a baby who just sleeps."
Labeled Links
1 to 2, 1 to 3, 1 to 7: "brings, compared with term babies." Late preterm infants look mature but have less developed feeding, temperature control and liver function, and higher risks of readmission for jaundice and feeding problems (Engle et al., 2007). 2 to 4: "causes." 3 to 6: "limits heat production, causing." 3 to 5: "limits reserves, contributing to." 4 to 5: "provides too little glucose, worsening." 4 to 9: "means less milk and fewer stools, leading to." 9 to 8: "returns bilirubin to the blood, adding to." 7 to 8: "slower clearance causes." 4 to 10: "too little intake leads to." 5 to 11, 8 to 11, 6 to 11: "each can cause." 11 to 4: "a sleepy baby feeds less," a loop that keeps the chain turning. 6 to 5: "burning energy for warmth uses glucose, worsening." 10 to 8: "dehydration concentrates bilirubin." 4 and 11 to 12: "worry parents."
The sleepy baby who feeds poorly is not resting; drowsiness and weak feeding feed each other in a loop the nurse has to break.
Where One Action Breaks Several Chains
A structured feeding plan acts on node 4 and, through it, on nodes 5, 8, 9 and 10: feeding at least every [three] hours, waking him if needed; limiting each breastfeed to about [20] to [30] minutes to save energy; then offering expressed breast milk or formula by a supplementing method, as ordered; and having the mother pump after feeds to protect her supply. Skin-to-skin contact acts on node 6 and supports feeding. Glucose checks before feeds follow protocol, with feeding as the first treatment for an asymptomatic baby at borderline levels (Adamkin, 2011). Bilirubin is checked before discharge and plotted against hour-specific risk curves.
Nursing Priorities Read From the Map
First, adequate intake through the feeding plan. Second, glucose and temperature monitoring. Third, jaundice screening and weight. Fourth, teaching the parents to recognize feeding cues, wake a sleepy baby and count wet diapers and stools (Perry et al., 2022).
Teaching the Parents
His parents had assumed a sleeping baby was a content baby. The nurse explained that late preterm babies often sleep through hunger because feeding tires them, so waiting for him to wake and cry could mean long gaps without milk. They learned to watch for early cues, to wake him by unwrapping, changing his diaper or stroking his feet if three hours had passed, and to keep him skin-to-skin between feeds. His mother practiced hand expression and the breast pump, and his father learned to give supplemental milk with a small cup or syringe so the baby would not tire. They kept a log of feeds, wet diapers and stools, and were told the numbers to expect each day and the signs that would mean calling: fewer diapers, yellow skin spreading toward the legs, a baby too sleepy to feed or a temperature below [36.5] C despite wrapping. They left with an appointment for a weight and jaundice check two days after discharge, which national guidance recommends for late preterm infants because readmission risk is highest in the first week.
Evaluation
By [48] hours he was feeding every three hours with supplementation, glucose stable above [50], temperature normal in a sleeper and blanket, weight loss [6] percent, and bilirubin below the threshold for treatment. Discharge was delayed a day until feeding was reliable, with a follow-up visit at [48] hours. His parents said the delay felt disappointing at first but reassuring by the time they left.
Reading the Map
Birth sits at the left, three immaturities branch from it, and feeding sits at the hub, with dashed lines marking the loop back from drowsiness. Parental worry is drawn below, linked to teaching.
References
Adamkin, D. H. (2011). Postnatal glucose homeostasis in late-preterm and term infants. Pediatrics, 127(3), 575-579. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-3851
Engle, W. A., Tomashek, K. M., & Wallman, C. (2007). "Late-preterm" infants: A population at risk. Pediatrics, 120(6), 1390-1401. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2007-2952
Perry, S. E., Hockenberry, M. J., Cashion, K., Alden, K. R., Olshansky, E., & Lowdermilk, D. L. (2022). Maternal child nursing care (7th ed.). Elsevier.
Reading the NU 143 Unit 9 instructions
Unit 9 usually moves to the newborn who needs more than routine care, asking for a concept map that shows how the baby's problems connect. Typical prompts ask for a node per problem, arrows labeled with the process joining them, nursing actions attached to the nodes they change, priorities and parent teaching. Instructors look for maps that identify the central problem from which others flow, loops in which one consequence feeds back to deepen another, and actions chosen because they act on several nodes at once. For late preterm infants, the expected insight is that a baby who looks mature may still have immature feeding, temperature control and liver function.
Inside the NU143 Unit 9 example
The map opens with the baby, his birth, his feeding pattern, glucose and temperature. Twelve nodes run from late preterm birth through three immaturities to weak feeding and its consequences. Labeled links follow, citing a review of late preterm risk, with a loop from drowsiness back to weaker feeds and the highlighted line on that loop. A section shows the structured feeding plan acting on four nodes, citing newborn glucose guidance, and a margin note marks it. From the map come priorities, parent teaching covers waking and supplementing, his course over two days is reported, and a reading note explains the layout.
Reading the NU143 Unit 9 grading rubric
Newborn concept maps in NU 143 earn credit for identifying the central problem, quality of links, recognition of loops and actions that act on several problems. Central problem points go to placing feeding at the hub with others flowing from it. Link quality carries significant weight and rewards arrows that name the process, such as fewer stools returning bilirubin to the blood. Loop recognition rewards showing how drowsiness and weak feeding feed each other. Action points go to a feeding plan that addresses glucose, jaundice and weight together. Parent teaching and a follow-up visit, with sources in APA 7, show the map guides care after discharge as well. A map that predicts the baby's course, then is checked against it, shows real reasoning.
NU143 Unit 9 help from the desk
Late preterm maps often list problems as separate boxes, missing that most of them flow from weak feeding. Another common gap is treating a sleepy baby as content, when sleepiness can be both a cause and a result of poor intake. Some maps forget that fewer stools increase jaundice. Many leave out the parents, who will need to wake and feed the baby at home. Put feeding at the center, label every link, draw the drowsiness loop, show which action breaks several chains, rank priorities from the map, teach the parents to recognize cues and count diapers, and include the early follow-up visit. Count the diapers in the plan, too.
Get an NU143 Unit 9 example written to your instructions
Maps for this unit may be drawn around an infant of a diabetic mother, a newborn with suspected infection, one in withdrawal, or a late-preterm infant as here. Give the case, your section's map format, whether software or hand-drawn, and the rubric; every link on the sample is then labeled in that layout. First custom sample at no cost; 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More NU143 papers and BSN samples
- NU143 Unit 1: Discussion Board Post
- NU143 Unit 2: Case Study Analysis
- NU143 Unit 3: Assessment Write-Up
- NU143 Unit 4: Care Plan
- NU143 Unit 5: Patient Education Handout
- NU143 Unit 6: Newborn Assessment Note
- NU143 Unit 7: Teaching Plan
- NU143 Unit 8: Seminar Reflection
- NU143 Unit 10: Final Case Study
- NU142CL Unit 9: Post-Conference Post
- NU142 Unit 9: Concept Map
- NU141CL Unit 9: Post-Conference Post
- NU141 Unit 9: Drug Class Comparison
NU143 Unit 9 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NU143 Unit 9 sample paper?
This page holds the full NU143 Unit 9 concept map for a late preterm newborn, with twelve nodes, labeled links, a feeding plan acting on several chains, priorities, parent teaching and his course, with three references. We can map the newborn in your own assignment.
What is a late preterm infant?
A baby born between 34 and 36 weeks. They often look mature but have less developed feeding, temperature control and liver function, and higher risks of jaundice and feeding problems.
Why is feeding at the center of the NU143 Unit 9 map?
Weak, short feeds lead to low glucose, fewer stools and more jaundice, weight loss and drowsiness, so improving intake acts on most of his other problems at once.
Why does a sleepy late preterm baby need waking to feed?
Feeding tires him, so he may sleep through hunger. Waiting for crying can leave long gaps, so parents wake him if three hours pass and watch for early cues.
When should a late preterm baby be seen after discharge?
Within about two days, for weight, feeding and jaundice checks, because readmission risk is highest in the first week.