NCC Credential in Inpatient Antepartum Nursing (RNC-IAP) Practice Test

Renal blood flow increases in pregnancy to support both mother and fetus. Hormonal changes cause dilation of renal vessels and expansion of plasma volume, so the kidneys receive more blood and the filtration rate rises as well. By the second trimester, renal plasma flow typically climbs about 60–80% above nonpregnant levels and remains elevated toward term, around 50% above pre-pregnancy values. That's why the statement describing a 60–80% increase by mid-pregnancy with about a 50% above-baseline level at term is accurate. The other options don’t fit this pattern: renal plasma flow does not stay unchanged, does not decrease by the second trimester, and does not reach a 150% increase by term.