The Apgar, an exam when your newborn is born, is usually billed as baby’s first test.
It may seem a bit stressful to think of your little one being thrown into the world of standardized testing, from the moment that they enter this world. But we can thank Virginia Apgar, the developer of this tool, for saving babies lives.
The Apgar is scored from 0-10, with 5 different measures of the baby’s health being used to give your medical team an idea of how well your baby is doing.
In addition to being the name of a pretty groundbreaking female scientist, the test is also an acronym.
Appearance
We expect newborn skin color to have pinkish undertones, showing good circulation. Blue will result in a lower score.
Pulse
Baby’s heart rate should be over 100 beats per minute.
Grimace
Usually grimace isn’t a good thing, but in this case, it shows that your little one reacts to being poked and prodded, which is exactly what we want.
Activity
Wiggly, wriggly babies are what the doctors are looking for here. They want to see muscle tone and good amount of movement right away.
Respiration
Hearing the baby cry early and strong is the ideal, and a baby that doesn’t begin breathing right away will be fussed over.
All of these are considered, and infants are given a 0, 1, or 2 for each category.
The Apgar score is checked at one minute after birth, and then again at five minutes.
We think of the first test as measuring how well the baby did during their birthing journey, and the second as assessing how well they’re doing now that they’re here on the outside. Occasionally if there is a bit of concern about a baby, a 10 minute score will also be assessed.
So when do we worry about the Apgar? What causes these concerns?
Truthfully, much of the time we don’t.
Babies can score up to 10, but nurses sometimes joke that this only happens to doctor’s kids. A 9 is truly nothing to be concerned about, as babies of all skin tones (and who are born to OBs and pediatricians) often have little blue hands and feet.
In most hospitals in the DC Metro area, the initial Apgar score can be done during skin to skin time, while your baby is on your stomach or chest.
In many instances, the excitement of finally meeting your little one means that you won’t even notice the Apgar being done.
The procedure at most places in DC, Maryland and Virginia where DCMM labor doulas practice is that the baby will need to be taken to the isolette (warmer) sooner if there is concern about breathing, meconium, fluid in the lungs, or other health issue.
Apgars are important to the initial health of an infant. But studies show that, if any problems that arise are treated, this test, unlike the SAT, won’t follow the baby afterwards. The Apgar doesn’t predict your child’s long term health, and, like so many things about newborns, is just a temporary moment in time.
Lots of good news here. If only all of our tests were this helpful! Have more questions about your baby’s birth day? Drop us a line, or join us at one of our classes!
Learn more about our labor support here, we want to be there through every step of the way.
