QBDOTW: A female infant presents to the Pediatrician
Welcome to MedSmarter’s USMLE Style Question Break Down of the Week. For those preparing for the USMLE Step 1, this week we break down a high-yield Pediatrics Behavioral Sciences question. As always you want to begin with reading the last sentence of the vignette first to get an understanding of what the question is asking for.
Question Break Down of the Week:
A female infant presents to the pediatrician for a routine check-up. Her father reports that she plays peek-a-boo at home, waves bye-bye, and will say “dada.” She cannot yet drink from a cup. She seemed somewhat apprehensive when the physician entered the room. She can lift her head when lying on her stomach, sit unassisted, and stand with help. She has a positive Babinski’s reflex. If this infant has met all her developmental milestones appropriately, how old is she?
A) 4–5 months
B) 7–11 months
C) 12–15 months
D) 18 months
E) 24 months
The correct answer choice is B: This baby is displaying motor, social, verbal, and cognitive skills appropriate for a 7 to 11-month-old baby. A 7 to 11-month-old baby should be able to sit alone, crawl, and stand with aid. She is displaying age-appropriate social skills such as playing peek-a-boo and displaying stranger anxiety. She is displaying age-appropriate verbal and cognitive skills such as saying “dada” even in a non-sensical manner. Babinski reflex ordinarily disappears by 12 months of age.
Did you think the answer was different?
Did you think that the correct answer choice was other than B? You can view this video for a deeper discussion of why A, C, D, and E were not the correct answer choices.
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