A 3-month-old is admitted with severe diarrhea. Yesterday, the infant weighed 11 pounds (5 kg). Today, this infant weighs 9 pounds, 8 ounces (4.3 kg). Based on this information the nurse documents that the infant has:

A. A weight loss of 10% or more in infants within a short period is indicative of severe dehydration. The significant weight loss from 5 kg to 4.3 kg confirms this diagnosis. B. The risk for fluid volume deficit would be noted if there were signs of potential dehydration, but in this case, the infant has already lost a significant amount of weight, confirming severe dehydration. C. Failure to thrive is a diagnosis related to insufficient weight gain over time, rather than acute weight loss due to dehydration. D. Malabsorption syndrome could contribute to chronic weight loss, but the acute loss in this case is more likely due to dehydration from diarrhea.