The Apgar Score

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

11 Jul 2009 05:39 AM

Immediately after birth, you baby will be given his first test. And while the baby is given the test, it is the parents who may be nervous. Welcome to the Apgar score, a quick appraisal of the health of your baby.

Your baby is actually tested twice, using the Apgar test. The first test comes at one minute after birth, and the second test comes at five minutes after birth. The scale goes up to ten, although just as in the olympics, only the very few get tens.

If you baby only gets a nine, don't worry. This is still an indication of a very healthy baby. So why do hospitals give your baby an Apgar test and what are they looking for? The Apgar test was developed way back in 1952 by Dr. Virginia Apgar. It was developed mainly to help identify the sickest babies, so doctors and nurses would know which babies needed the most attention and observation in the nursery.

The Apgar test determines how your baby is doing in the following areas: heart rate, breathing effort, skin color (blue to pink), muscle tone and movement, and response to stimulation.

Out of the two tests, the second test is more important. A baby could score a lower score on the first test, but recover by the second test. I can take a few minutes for an infant to adjust to being out in the world, especially when it comes to the circulatory system. Blue hands or feet is enough to drop your baby's score. Also, if your baby is quiet and content, her scores would be lower, since nurses and doctors look for a baby who is crying lustily.

I remember that when my youngest child was born, he was put into my arms and calmly blinked at the world. It was only until he was taken to the warming tray and prodded that he "cried lustily."

Some parents show off their Apgar scores, as if these number are a guarantee that a baby will get into an ivy league university. But the Apgar test is not an intelligence test nor a test for future development.

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Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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