The Apgar score, named after the doctor who invented it, is a way of assessing the baby’s alertness and responsiveness. A low Apgar score may indicate that the baby has a depressed response and may have had complications during labor, infection, or a disease or illness of some kind. A higher score means that the baby is more vigorous and alert.
Many people are familiar with these scores and want to know about them. They can be helpful to doctors in some cases when used in the overall context of the baby’s health and course during labor, delivery, and after delivery; however, they are not all that predictive. Usually, babies with low scores turn out to be fine. They are measured at one and at five minutes of life, and can be measured later.
90% of babies 7-10, most low at 1 minute are normal at 5 minutes.
| Area | Points | ||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Heart Rare | Absent | < 100 | > 100 |
| Color | Blue or pale | Mostly pink, blue hands/feet | Pink |
| Breathing | Absent | Irregular | Regular or crying |
| Muscle Tone & movement | Floppy/limp | Some tone and/or movement | Active, normal tone |
| Reflexes | No response | Grimace or whimper | Responsive, cries |
