The nurse assesses a child with coarctation of the aorta. Which common clinical manifestation is the nurse likely to observe?

A. Coarctation of the aorta is a congenital narrowing of the aorta, typically after the branches that supply the upper body. This results in increased blood pressure in the upper extremities and decreased perfusion (and lower blood pressure) in the lower extremities. B. Clubbing and shortness of breath are more characteristic of chronic hypoxemia, often seen in cyanotic congenital heart defects such as Tetralogy of Fallot, not coarctation of the aorta. C. Cyanosis is typically associated with defects that cause mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, such as transposition of the great arteries or tetralogy of Fallot, not coarctation. D. Pedal edema is more commonly associated with right-sided heart failure and is not a hallmark sign of coarctation in pediatric clients.