WHAT IS THE APGAR SCORE AND HOW IS IT CALCULATED?
Regardless of the type of child birth delivery a couple might plan for from birth child natural, natural child birth, water birth or cesarean birth it is every parents hope that first and foremost the child will be healthy. A birth child natural is probably the type of birth that will offer the safest and quickest delivery and recovery. Whatever the type of birth a couple may have from birth child natural, natural child birth, water birth or cesarean section a doctor or midwife will check to see that the baby is healthy and in no need of resuscitation. The scoring system used to evaluate a baby’s condition at one minute and five minutes after birth is known as the APGAR score. APGAR score stands for; • A for activity and muscle tone, • P for pulse rate, • G for grimace and reflex irritability, • A for appearance and skin color and • R for respiration. A score of 7-10 is normal, 4-6 may need some resuscitation (oxygen and monitoring) and below 3 requires life saving techniques. A birth
