After your baby is delivered, it seems a medical team appears out of thin air. There is a great hustle and bustle, with people surrounding your little one. This is the neonatal team that is usually called in as soon as your baby enters the world. They specialize in evaluation and resuscitation of newborns.

What is an Apgar Score?

Your baby’s apgar score will be evaluated in the first and fifth minute after your baby is born. Scoring is from 0 to 10. If your baby receives a low apgar score, he or she will require additional attention from the medical staff. The following chart is used to evaluate your baby’s apgar score:

Sign	0	1	2
Heart Rate	Absent	Less Than 100 Per Minute	More than 100 Per Minute
Respiratory Effort	Apneic	Weak, Irregular, Gasping	Regular
Reflex	No Response	Some Response	Facial Grimace, Sneeze, Cough
Muscle Tone	Flaccid	Some Flexion	Good Flexion of Arms and Legs
Color	Blue, Pale	Body Pink, Hands and Feet Blue	Pink

The values above of 0, 1 and 2 will be added to reach your total, which will be between 0 and 10. If your baby’s score is between 7 and 10, he or she will probably not need additional medical attention. If the score is between 4 and 7, your baby may need a bit of help such as a back rub to help expel fluids from the lungs. If the score is under four, your baby may be put on oxygen or need further medical attention from the neonatal staff.

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