Apgar Score (Noun)
Meaning
An assessment of the physical condition of a newborn infant; involves heart rate and muscle tone and respiratory effort and color and reflex responsiveness.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The Apgar score is a simple, quick assessment used to evaluate the newborn's overall physical condition immediately after birth, typically performed at 1 and 5 minutes after birth.
- In many cases, if the 1-minute Apgar score is less than 7, the newborn requires resuscitation, and the 5-minute Apgar score may be influenced by how well the baby responds to this initial medical treatment.
- Since the Apgar score only reflects the condition of the newborn at that very moment in time, a low Apgar score does not necessarily correlate with a specific prognosis or long-term outcome for the child.
- The Apgar score consists of five items, including appearance color reflexes respiration and heart rate muscle tone.
- Research on how low Apgar scores affect later development is somewhat ambiguous and generally finds only small correlations between Apgar scores and potential complications.