Whats an APGAR Test and Why is it Performed?
The APGAR test was developed in 1952 by Virginia Apgar, an American anesthesiologist, as a way to gauge the physical condition of babies immediately after birth, before they were taken to the nursery. It was common practice to whisk babies away to the nursery without a formal examination directly after birth, prior to Dr. Apgar’s intervention. An APGAR is the first test that a baby will take in his/her life. Immediately after birth, within 60 seconds, the APGAR test is given to assess how well baby has weathered birth, and if there are any physical conditions present requiring immediate medical treatment. There are five areas that are considered and each is given a score between 0-2, with 2 being the highest rating for a maximum score of 10. The five areas are: A is for Activity, meaning muscle tone, P is for Pulse to determine heart rate, G is for Grimace which is a reflex response, A is for Appearance or skin color, and R is for Respiration or breathing. The first APGAR test is perfo
