Prepare for your NCLEX-RN® exam with a clinical question about integumentary changes. Learn about the postpartum period’s changes, including hormonal shifts and skin transformations, as the body recovers after delivery.
The nurse in the community hospital is assessing a client who is four weeks postpartum. Which integumentary change(s) in the postpartum period should the nurse anticipate? Select all that apply.
A. Hyperpigmentation
B. Palmar erythema
C. Rosacea
D. Spider angioma
E. Striae gravidarum
F. Macules
Scroll down for the correct answer!
The correct answer to today’s NCLEX
A. Hyperpigmentation
Rationale: The nurse should anticipate this change. Integumentary changes during the postpartum period include hyperpigmentation, which refers to areas of darkened skin.
B. Palmar erythema
Rationale: The nurse should anticipate this change. Palmar erythema, which refers to reddened palms, is an anticipated integumentary change during the postpartum period.
D. Spider angioma
Rationale: The nurse should anticipate this change. Spider angioma is a cutaneous vascular change characterized by vascular lesions under the surface of the skin and is an anticipated integumentary change during the postpartum period.
E. Striae gravidarum
Rationale: The nurse should anticipate this change. Striae gravidarum are purple to red stretch marks anticipated during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Striae gravidarium fades away to a whiteish shade but never fully disappears.
Major Takeaway
The postpartum period, also known as puerperium, is defined as the first six weeks after delivery. Physiologic changes during the postpartum period are primarily caused by a rapid drop in estrogen and progesterone. Integumentary changes during the postpartum period include hyperpigmentation and cutaneous vascular changes, such as spider angioma, telangiectasia, and palmar erythema, which fade away after delivery. Purple to red stretch marks called striae gravidarum fade away to a whiteish shade but never fully disappear.

Incorrect Answer Explanations
C. Rosacea
Rationale: The nurse should not anticipate this change. Rosacea is a skin condition described as small red bumps with facial redness and is not an anticipated integumentary change during the postpartum period. The general cause of rosacea is unknown but can be associated with heredity.
F. Macules
Rationale: The nurse should not anticipate this change. Macules are flat, discolored areas of the skin less than one centimeter with distinct borders that are not an anticipated finding during the postpartum period. Macules can occur with skin conditions such as freckles or acne.
Want to learn more about this topic?
Watch the Osmosis video: Nursing Care for the Postpartum Woman

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