While obtaining a health history of a 3-month-old infant from the mother, the nurse asks about the infant’s ability to suck and grasp the mother’s finger. What is the nurse assessing?

Choice A reason: Intelligence cannot be assessed in a 3-month-old, as cognitive abilities are not yet developed enough for evaluation. Sucking and grasping are innate behaviors driven by reflexes, not conscious thought, making this an incorrect assessment focus. Choice B reason: Cerebral cortex function is immature in a 3-month-old, and sucking and grasping are primarily brainstem-mediated reflexes. These actions do not directly assess higher cortical functions like memory or reasoning, making this an incorrect choice. Choice C reason: Sucking and grasping in a 3-month-old are primitive reflexes (sucking reflex and palmar grasp reflex), mediated by the brainstem. Assessing these evaluates normal neurological development, making this the correct focus of the nurse’s inquiry. Choice D reason: While sucking involves Cranial Nerves V, VII, IX, and XII, and grasping involves spinal reflexes, the nurse is assessing the presence of these reflexes, not the cranial nerves directly. Reflex assessment is the primary focus, making this less precise.