A nurse is completing an assessment of a newborn, including obtaining blood pressure measurements at each extremity. Which of the following findings suggests coarctation of the aorta?

Rationale: A. Elevated systolic blood pressure in the upper extremities and elevated systolic blood pressure in the lower extremities: Uniformly elevated blood pressure in both upper and lower extremities does not indicate coarctation of the aorta. This pattern may suggest systemic hypertension but not a localized obstruction of the aorta. B. Elevated systolic blood pressure in the upper extremities and low systolic blood pressure in the lower extremities: This is characteristic of coarctation of the aorta, where narrowing of the aortic arch causes obstruction to blood flow to the lower extremities. The upper extremities receive blood before the narrowing, resulting in higher pressures compared with the legs. C. Low systolic blood pressure in the upper extremities and low systolic blood pressure in the lower extremities: Low pressures in all extremities suggest generalized hypotension or poor cardiac output rather than a localized structural defect like coarctation of the aorta. D. Low systolic blood pressure in the upper extremities and elevated systolic blood pressure in the lower extremities: This pattern is not consistent with coarctation of the aorta. Elevated lower extremity pressure with low upper extremity pressure may indicate other rare circulatory anomalies but is not typical for this condition.