What do low apgar scores mean

In This Article. What is the Apgar score? Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. View Sources. What to Expect the First Year, 3rd Edition. Heidi Murkoff. First Year. First Year Groups. Other examples include heart rate monitoring and umbilical artery blood gases. The Apgar scoring system is divided into five categories. Each category receives a score of 0 to 2 points.

At most, a child will receive an overall score of However, a baby rarely scores a 10 in the first few moments of life. This is because most babies have blue hands or feet immediately after birth.

The Apgar scores are recorded at one and five minutes. At five minutes, the baby has ideally improved. If the score is very low after five minutes, the medical staff may reassess the score after 10 minutes.

Doctors expect that some babies may have lower Apgar scores. These include:. A score of 0 to 3 is concerning. Ten is the highest score possible, but few babies get it. That's because most babies' hands and feet remain blue until they have warmed up. A baby who scores a 7 or above on the test is considered in good health. A lower score does not mean that your baby is unhealthy. It means that your baby may need some immediate medical care, such as suctioning of the airways or oxygen to help him or her breathe better.

Perfectly healthy babies sometimes have a lower-than-usual score, especially in the first few minutes after birth. At 5 minutes after birth, the test is given again. Can I get pregnant if…? Share this post:. Share on facebook Facebook. Share on twitter Twitter. Share on linkedin LinkedIn.

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