What is APGAR?
Written by P&NThe Apgar is your baby’s first test, taken one minute after birth and again at five minutes. It helps the doctors and nurses accurately gauge the health of a newborn. Even though it got its name back in 1952 from Dr. Virginia Apgar, a noted anesthesiologist, those letters in the name have another meaning as well.A – Appearance (color)
P – Pulse (heartbeat)
G – Grimace (reflex)
A – Activity (muscle tone)
R – Respiration
In all five areas the baby is scored from zero to two, making the grand total a baby can achieve on an Apgar a 10. Babies who receive a six and over are considered in very good health; babies who score between four and six might need an extra bit of attention; and babies who score under four require immediate and extreme attention. But don’t stress—even babies who score low on their Apgar usually grow up to be fine, healthy and happy.
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