It is a system used by doctors and nurses to assess newborns one minute and five minutes after they are born.
It is a quick way to help others understand the baby’s conditions immediately after birth.
It also provides a mechanism to record fetal-to-neonatal transition. Apgar scores do not predict individual mortality or adverse neurologic outcome.
It comprises five components:
1) color,
2) heart rate,
3) reflexes,
4) muscle tone, and
5) respiration, each of which is given a score of 0, 1, or 2.
Detailed scoring of APGAR:-
▪️A – It stands for activity or muscle tone of child.
Limp or floppy – 0
Limbs flexed – 1
Active movement – 2
▪️P – It stands for pulse or heart rate of child.
Absent – 0
Less than 100 beats / minute – 1
Greater than 100 beats / minute – 2
▪️G – It stands for grimace ( response to stimulation, such as suctioning the baby’s nose).
Absent – 0
Facial movement / grimace with stimulation – 1
Cough or sneeze, cry and withdrawal of foot with stimulation – 2
▪️A – It stands for appearance (colour).
Blue, bluish- grey or pale all over – 0
Body pink but extremities blue – 1
Pink all over – 2
▪️R – It stands for respiration or breathing.
Absent – 0
Irregular, weak crying – 1
Good, strong cry – 2.
The score of 7-10 after 5 minutes is reassuring.
A score of 4-6 is moderately normal.
A score of 0-3 is concerning.
