Apgar score is a system for evaluating the physical condition of a baby immediately after birth. An Apgar score is given to most babies born in the United States and to newborns in many other parts of the world. The score measures five vital functions: (1) appearance (skin color), (2) pulse (heart rate), (3) grimace (reflex response), (4) activity (muscle tone), and (5) respiration. The first letters of these functions form the word Apgar. The Apgar score is obtained at one minute and, in most cases, at five minutes after birth.
A newborn baby can score from a low value of 0 to a normal value of 2 for each function. The scores are then added, for a maximum total of 10. A baby who scores 7 or higher receives routine care. A score of less than 7 indicates that the baby may need emergency respiratory treatment to survive. In such cases, the five-minute score can demonstrate the success of the treatment. If the five-minute score remains below 7, the doctor may continue treatment and retest the baby every five minutes until a score of 7 or higher is obtained.
Doctors use the Apgar score with other measures of a newborn’s condition to help predict the baby’s short-term health prospects. The Apgar score was developed by the American physician Virginia Apgar and introduced in 1952.
See also Apgar, Virginia
