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Your Baby's first test will be the Apgar Score
A few seconds after your baby is born, he is given his first
medical test knows
as the Apgar Score. The Apgar Score was named after physician Virginia Apgar, MD.
The Apgar Score measures an infant's physical condition. Your baby will actually be given
two Apgar Tests. One will be within a minute after birth, and the second will be given 5
minutes after birth.
A normal score is between 7 and 10. In general, a score below 6 indicates distress.
The five factors evaluated in the Apgar score are:
Strength and regularity of heart rate
| 100 beats/minute |
2 points |
| Below 100 |
1 point |
| None |
0 points |
Lung maturity
| Regular breathing |
2 points |
| Irregular |
1 point |
| None |
0 points |
Muscle tone and movement
| Active |
2 points |
| Moderate |
1 point |
| Limp |
0 points |
Skin color to determine lung efficiency at
oxygenating blood
| Pink |
2 points |
| Bluish extremeties |
1 point |
| Totally blue |
0 points |
Reflex response to irritable stimuli
| Crying |
2 points |
| Whimpering |
1 point |
| Silence |
0 points |
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The Smart Baby