Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby's APGAR SCORE
How familiar are you with the "Apgar score" and what it means for your baby? You may have heard the term mentioned at the time of delivery, but no one explained to you its significance. Here is some helpful info about the Apgar score, what it means, and where the term came from.
What is the Apgar score?
The Apgar score is a tool that birth care providers use to assess the condition of a newborn right after being born. They note the score one minute after the delivery, and again five minutes after the delivery. You may not even notice, as the care provider has the scoring system committed to memory and will take note of it with a quick look at the baby while you are holding him or her.
If the one- and five-minute scores are unfavorable and the baby needs extra assistance adjusting to the world, the score may be taken again at further intervals.
What does Apgar stand for?
The name Apgar actually has a double meaning. First, it is named for the woman who created the scoring system. Dr. Virginia Apgar developed the system in 1952 as a way to determine the effects on babies of maternal anesthesia and other procedures popular in that era. It continues on today in standard practice to help identify babies that need immediate medical care.
Secondly, it is a mnemonic device to help remember the criteria to observe.
A - Activity; the baby is observed to show wriggling movements and flex the limbs
P - Pulse; the baby is determined to have a regular pulse
G - Grimace; the baby is responding reflexively to being touched and suctioned
A - Appearance; the color of the baby is noted
R - Respiration; the baby is observed to determine that it is breathing regularly
The One Minute and Five Minute Scores
When your doctor, midwife, or nurse notes the one-minute post-birth Apgar score, they use the result to help them determine whether or not the baby needs immediate medical intervention.
The score is calculated by assigning a number from 0 to 2 to each of the above categories. If a baby is active, crying, pink, and breathing well, they will be assigned a higher score. If they are not breathing well, limp, or not as responsive, the lower score may indicate the need for medical assistance.
The five minute score can help determine how well the baby responded to the medical assistance and if further actions need to be taken.
A score of 7-10 usually means the baby is healthy and adjusting well to being born. A score of 4-6 might mean that a little extra assistance is needed to get them off to the right start, and a score of 3 or less often indicates the need for immediate life-saving assistance to take place.