Contents:
- Medical Video: Assessing Newborn Primitive Reflexes by Nina Gold for OPENPediatrics
- What is the Apgar Score?
- Assessment criteria for Apgar Score
- Activity (muscle activity)
- Pulse (heart rate)
- Appearance (skin color)
- Grimace (motion reflex)
- Respiration (Respiratory)
- How to read Apgar Score
- Another thing to know about the Apgar Score
Medical Video: Assessing Newborn Primitive Reflexes by Nina Gold for OPENPediatrics
Apgar Score is a simple assessment performed by doctors to ensure a baby's overall health condition after birth. This assessment helps the doctor to determine whether the baby is in good condition or even needs medical help.
If your baby gets a low score after an assessment, it means that your baby needs special care. Whereas if your baby gets a high score, it means that your baby is in good condition so that it does not require certain medical care. Check out the full description of the Apgar Score below.
What is the Apgar Score?
Apgar score or Apgar Score (apgar skor) is a method created in 1952 by American anesthetist, dr. Virginia Apgar. This method is used to assess the health condition of the baby at the age of 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth. In certain cases, Apgar Score can also be done in the 10th, 15th and 20th minutes after the birth of the baby.
The word Apgar, aside from the last name of its creator, is also an acronym of Appearance (skin color), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace (motion reflex), Activity (muscle activity), and Respiration (Respiratory). Yes, Apgar Score has five assessment criteria from a scale of 0 to 2. Later, the value of each criterion is added up. Well, the summation results are used as a reference to determine the health condition of the baby.
Assessment criteria for Apgar Score
Apgar Score has a certain value to indicate the condition of a newborn baby. These emerging values will vary for each baby. As explained above, pthe assessment is based on heart rate, breathing, muscle activity, motion reflexes, and baby's skin color.Criteria for the value of each Apgar Score criteria are:
Activity (muscle activity)
- If the baby moves both his legs and arms spontaneously once he is born, then the score given is 2
- If the baby only does a little movement once it is born, then the score given is 1
- If the baby does not move at all once he is born, the score given is 0
Pulse (heart rate)
- If the baby's heart beats at least 100 times per minute, then the score given is 2
- If the baby's heart beats less than 100 times per minute, then the score given is 1
- If the baby's heart does not beat at all, then the score given is 0
Appearance (skin color)
- If all the skin on his body is reddish, then the score given is 2
- If the baby's skin is reddish, but his hands and feet are bluish, the score given is 1
- If the entire baby's skin is bluish, grayish, or pale in color, then the score given is 0
Grimace (motion reflex)
- If the baby cries, coughs or sneezes, and withdraws when the doctor gives stimulation, the score given is 2
- If the baby grimaces, crying is weak when when the doctor gives stimulation, the score given is 1
- If the baby does not cry or even responds at all when the doctor gives stimulation, the score given is 0
Respiration (Respiratory)
- If the baby cries loudly and strongly, then the score given is 2
- If the baby is just moaning, then the score given is 1
- If the baby does not cry at all alias silence, then the score given is 0
After the assessment is done, the value obtained is then added up. Numbers that arise from the sum of the five criteria above will describe the condition of the baby after birth. This number also determines whether your baby needs immediate medical treatment or not.
How to read Apgar Score
Apgar values range from 0 to 10. Babies who get values above 7 are generally considered to be normal so do not require special medical procedures. Even though 10 is the highest score, only a few babies get it. Most babies get grades 8 or 9.
The result of a low Apgar Score calculation does not mean that your baby is not normal. This condition tells the medical team that your baby needs immediate medical treatment. Some medical actions that are generally performed by doctors to help stabilize a baby's condition are mucus suction or oxygen administration so the baby can breathe better. The doctor may also take various other actions so that the functions of the baby's organs that have problems can run more optimally.
Another thing to know about the Apgar Score
Actually, babies who are declared very healthy sometimes have lower scores than usual, especially at the first minute when the new baby is born. The results of the Apgar Score assessment which was slightly low at the first minute after the birth of the baby were normal conditions. Especially if the mother gives birth with a high-risk pregnancy, has a caesarean section or gives birth to a premature baby.
After assessing the condition of the baby in the 1st minute, the doctor will return to the assessment in the 5th minute after his birth. If your baby's Apgar Value does not increase or does not rise to 7, it means that your baby needs more intensive care. Your baby will also be monitored strictly by the team of doctors.This condition is usually experienced by babies who have disorders of the heart organs and lungs. While some other babies only need a longer time to adjust to the new environment outside the uterus.
Please note that Apgar Score is a method that is only designed to make it easier for doctors to assess a baby's condition thoroughly after he is born. The results of the Apgar Score assessment are not a reference for estimating the health, behavior, or even the intelligence of a baby in the future.
