For a 3-month-old infant scheduled for cleft lip surgery, which instruction is most important to tell the parents now to prepare for postoperative care?

• A. Keep restraints on until discharge
• B. Remove restraints from both arms when supervising the child.
• C. Apply new restraints every hour
• D. Use only one restraint on one arm

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that protective restraints after surgical repair are used to prevent the infant from reaching the operative site, but they must not be worn continuously. Removing the restraints from both arms when you are actively supervising the child allows you to keep the suture line safe while also checking the skin, preventing pressure injuries, and letting the baby move and comfort themselves. This approach balances protection with safety and skin care. Keeping restraints on until discharge would risk skin breakdown and discomfort; applying new restraints every hour is impractical and unnecessary; using only one restraint would still allow the child to use the unrestrained arm to reach the mouth and potentially injure the site.