If you’re a parent, whether a new or seasoned one, you’ve undoubtedly heard of the APGAR score, but chances are you have little or no idea what it really means beyond the fact that a high score is good news for your newly delivered baby, while a low score suggests your newborn may require more than standard medical attention in their first moments of life. Here’s what each letter stands for and what different scores indicate:
Appearance refers primarily to skin color.
Pink body and extremities scores 2; blue all over scores 0
(not a good sign of health).
Pulse rate of at least 100 beats per minute scores a 2;
pulse that is absent (another very bad sign) scores a 0.
Grimace is an evaluation of reflex irritability; if the newborn
Coughs, sneezes or pulls away when stimulated, that’s a
2. No response to stimulation scores a 0.
Activity is assessed by muscle tone – active movement scores 2, while none scores 0.
Respiration (breathing) considered strong is awarded a
score of 2; no breath scores a 0.
The APGAR test is performed one and five minutes after birth, and may be repeated thereafter if initial scores are low. In general, a total combined score of 7-10 is considered normal, 4-6 is fairly low, while any score below 3 is critically low. Bear in mind that a low score at one minute which improves at five minutes may not be indicative of a health issue, but a consistently low score definitely requires medical attention.
Source: To Your Health
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