Understanding APGAR Scores
Posted on 07 09, 2009 under Predad by gregoryng | View Comments
One of the first things you will hear after the birth of your kid, is the APGAR score. This will be called out by the delivery nurse after you hear your kid"s first cry, after you hear your wife sobbing and before you start calling your family telling them the good news.
The word rhymes with Ackbar but is of no relation to the brilliant Mon Calamari commander of the Rebel Fleet, Admiral Ackbar. APGAR is an acronym for Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance, and Respiration. Basically, your kid will be tested at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth and it gives the medical staff an idea of how well your kid is doing. Each of the 5 scores are generated from the following standard:
Activity (muscle tone)
0 — Limp; no movement
1 — Some flexion of arms and legs
2 — Active motion
Pulse (heart rate)
0 — No heart rate
1 — Fewer than 100 beats per minute
2 — At least 100 beats per minute
Grimace (reflex response)
0 — No response to airways being suctioned
1 — Grimace during suctioning
2 — Grimace and pull away, cough, or sneeze during suctioning
Appearance (color)
0 — The baby"s whole body is completely bluish-gray or pale
1 — Good color in body with bluish hands or feet
2 — Good color all over
Respiration (breathing)
0 — Not breathing
1 — Weak cry; may sound like whimpering, slow or irregular breathing
2 — Good, strong cry; normal rate and effort of breathing
10 is the highest number your baby can receive. And many times the score will differ between the first and second test. Any score over 7 is considered very healthy. In 98% of cases, the APGAR scores beat 7 after the 5 minute test.
So what do noodads need to know? You need to know 3 things:
• Your kid will be taken immediately after birth to get their score
• That a low score on the first test is not worth panicking about
and
• Admiral Ackbar Rules
