Baby
Apgar
MI hear people talking about the Apgar score that their baby got.
What does it mean?
Your baby will be tested immediately at birth and then 5 minutes later. Simply by noting the baby’s breathing, reflexes, muscle tone, skin colour and heart rate gives a comprehensive rating of the baby’s condition. Generally a baby with a low initial score will get a good score on the second test five minutes later, after the baby has had a chance to adjust to having being born!
| Test | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Heart rate | absent | below 100 beats per min | above 100 beats per min |
| Breathing | absent | slow/irregular | regular |
| Skin colour | blue | body pink, extremities blue | pink all over |
| Muscle tone | limp | some movements | active movements |
| Reflex | absent | grimace | cry |
The majority of babies score 8 or 9 out of 10 on the initial scoring. This is because it is common to see some blueness in the limbs initially. A baby who has not experienced any oxygen supply problems during the labour and birth will score over 8/10. A score of below 7 may imply some intervention is required, like oxygen for a short time. Below 3 indicates a sever lack of oxygen and swift action is called for.
A – Skin colour
P – Heart rate
G – Reflex irritability
A – Muscle tone
R – Breathing
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*Important : The information provided is for information purposes only. No medical diagnosis or prescription can be inferred or is implied. Please consult your doctor for medical advice.