When assessing an infant's ventilation status, you should:

• A. Listen for breath sounds with a stethoscope
• B. Palpate the abdomen for rise and fall
• C. Observe chest expansion only
• D. Check for nasal flaring

Answer: (B)

Infants breathe primarily with the diaphragm, so palpating the abdomen for rise and fall gives the quickest read on ventilation status. When the diaphragm moves, the abdomen rises, confirming air is moving in and out. This abdominal movement is a reliable cue in infants because chest wall motion can be subtle or irregular. Listening with a stethoscope focuses on breath sounds and doesn’t directly prove ventilation effectiveness. Observing chest expansion alone can miss diaphragmatic breathing, and nasal flaring indicates effort rather than actual ventilation. So feeling the abdomen rise and fall provides the most direct, practical indication of whether the infant is ventilating.