|
APGAR Scoring for Newborns |
| |
Sign |
0 Points |
1 Point |
2 Points |
| A |
Activity (Muscle Tone) |
Absent/Limp |
Some flexing (bending) of arms and
legs |
Active Movement |
| |
| P |
Pulse |
Absent, no heart rate |
Heart rate is below 100 baby is not
very responsive |
Heart rate is above 100 baby is
obviously vigorous |
| |
| G |
Grimace (Reflex Irritability) |
No response to airways being
suctioned |
Grimace during suctioning |
Sneeze, cough, pulls away during
suctioning |
| |
| A |
Appearance (Skin Color) |
Blue-gray, pale all over |
Normal, except for extremities |
Normal over entire body |
| |
| R |
Respiration |
Absent, not breathing |
Slow, irregular, Weak cry; may sound
like whimpering or grunting |
Good, strong crying |
| |
| A score is given for
each sign at one minute and five minutes after the birth. If there are
problems with the baby an additional score is given at 10 minutes. A score
of 7-10 is considered normal, while 4-7 might require some resuscitative
measures, and a baby with apgars of 3 and below requires immediate
resuscitation. Continue to assign scores every five minutes thereafter as
long as the Apgar score is less than 7. |
| Sources for more
information: |
|
Human Labor and Birth
by Harry Oxorn
|
|
Childbirth.org site:
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/apgar.html |
|
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/childbirth/3074.html |
|
http://www.neonatology.org/ref/apgar.html |
