Know All About The Apgar Score In Newborns

• A-Appearance, which refers to the color of the baby’s skin
• P-Pulse, which refers to the heart rate of the baby
• G-Grimace response, which medically refers to reflex irritability, is a term describing the response of the baby to the stimulations, such as a mild pinch
• A-Activity, muscle tone
• R-Respiration, which refers to breathing effort and rate of breathing

The Apgar test is generally done twice

• The first test is done one minute right after the baby’s birth
• After five minutes of the baby’s birth, the second test is performed. Even if the first test shows a low score, most of the time, by the second test is taken the scores will be normal

If the Apgar score during the first two tests shows abnormal reading, the test is repeated 10 minutes after the baby’s birth to confirm the reading.

What Is An Apgar Score Chart?

The score ranges from 0-2 for each category. The total number of categories (as explained above) is 5. Therefore, the total score taken is out of ten. The test is simple and is performed by a nurse or doctor. Higher the score, the healthier the baby is.

However, babies seldom get a ten out of ten scores as the baby’s skin always has a blue tinge during birth time. The scores of 7, 8, or 9 are considered normal. As the score goes below six (1 to 6), the baby needs medical attention. The lower the score, the faster the medical attention.

Let us see how the scoring is being done. The table below will help to understand the scoring rules better.

What Do Apgar Scores Indicate?

If the baby gets a low score on his Apgar test (that is, under six), he may require oxygen, or the baby’s airway should be cleared out or require some external stimulation to get the heart rate up. More often, a low score can be a result of a difficult birth, aftereffect of a C-section, or fluid in the baby’s airway.

The 1- Minute Apgar Test Score

If the first score is between four and six, the baby needs help with breathing, which includes massaging and suctioning fluid from the nostrils. If the first score is less than three, the baby requires immediate life-saving measures

The 5- Minute Apgar Test Score

The Apgar score is repeated after 5 minutes to help the doctor to ascertain the baby’s response to the initial medical procedure. A score between seven and ten is considered normal. Even if during the second test the reading remains low say below six, the doctor may decide health saving measures depending on the issue

The Apgar score does not indicate the future health of the baby. It merely indicates the health condition of the baby immediately after birth. Therefore, a low Apgar score does not necessarily indicate any long-term health issues.

 Limitations Of The Apgar Score

Apgar score may differ from doctor to doctor. One doctor may not give the same Apgar score to a newborn as another doctor. This score is a mere indicator, your newborn baby may need other tests to determine his current health and his health in the future.

The chances of Apgar’s score being low can be due to the following reasons:

• If your baby is born prematurely
• Problems during pregnancy like any infection or injury due to a fall can cause the low Apgar score
• If you take certain medications, your newborn’s Apgar score can be low
• If you have been dehydrated during labor and delivery, your newborn’s Apgar score will be low
• When your newborn had trouble breathing right after his birth, he would have a low score
• If your newborn had a medical problem during pregnancy, he would have a low score