A 2-day-old female infant in the neonatal unit has a distended abdomen and has not passed meconium since birth. The child was delivered vaginally at term, but her birth was induced with magnesium sulfate, because the mother was diagnosed with preeclampsia. The infant's vital signs are: temperature 38.1 C (100.6 F), blood pressure 70/40 mm Hg, pulse 130/min, and respirations 22/min. Physical examination is significant for a distended abdomen. An abdominal x-ray demonstrates a "bubbly" bowel gas pattern on the left side of the abdomen. The next step in the management of this patient is
A. bowel rest
B. contrast enema
C. intravenous fluids
D. laparotomy
E. an ultrasonography
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