Apgar Scale

A simple, easy-to-perform, standardized scale that is used to determine the physical status of an infant at birth. The Apgar scale is administered to a newborn at one minute after birth and five minutes after birth.

It scores the baby's heart rate, respiration, muscle tone, reflex response, and color. This test quickly alerts medical personnel that the newborn needs assistance.

	Sign	0 points	1 point	2 points
A	Activity (Muscle tone)	limp	limbs flexed	active movement
P	Pulse (heart rate)	absent	< 100 /min	> 100 /min
G	Grimace (response to smell or foot slap)	absent	grimace	cough or sneeze (nose), cry and withdrawal of foot (foot slap)
A	Appearance (color)	blue	body pink, extremities blue	pink all over
R	Respiration (breathing)	absent	irregular weak crying	good strong cry

The total Apgar score is the sum of the scores for the five signs.

See also: Apgar, Virginia.