For newborns, what is the recommended site and depth for a capillary heelstick to minimize tissue damage?

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Multiple Choice

For newborns, what is the recommended site and depth for a capillary heelstick to minimize tissue damage?

The key idea is sampling from a superficial capillary bed in the newborn’s heel while avoiding deeper structures. The recommended site is the lateral plantar surface of the heel, near the heel pad, because this area provides accessible capillaries and is away from the main bone and deep tissues. Keeping the depth under 2.4 mm in term newborns minimizes the risk of penetrating the calcaneus or causing tissue or nerve injury, which helps prevent damage and pain. Other sites or deeper punctures increase the chance of hitting bone or causing unnecessary tissue injury, so the lateral edge near the heel pad with a shallow depth is the safer, more appropriate choice.

The key idea is sampling from a superficial capillary bed in the newborn’s heel while avoiding deeper structures. The recommended site is the lateral plantar surface of the heel, near the heel pad, because this area provides accessible capillaries and is away from the main bone and deep tissues. Keeping the depth under 2.4 mm in term newborns minimizes the risk of penetrating the calcaneus or causing tissue or nerve injury, which helps prevent damage and pain. Other sites or deeper punctures increase the chance of hitting bone or causing unnecessary tissue injury, so the lateral edge near the heel pad with a shallow depth is the safer, more appropriate choice.

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