WITHIN MINUTES OF BIRTH

APGAR CHECK

This is done 1 minute, 5 minutes and 10 minutes after birth. The Apgar tests were developed by American Dr Virginia Apgar in the 1950s to help doctors and nurses assess the condition of a newborn.

It looks at five important health indicators:

APPEARANCE OF SKIN Assessing whether your baby’s skin is pale or blue. A healthy pink colour denotes he is getting enough oxygen.

PULSE Determining if the heartbeat is strong and regular.

REFLEXES Assessing baby’s response to stimulus like suctioning and whether it results in a frown or cry.

MUSCLE TONE Moving arms and limbs to demonstrate the tone and health of his muscles.

RESPIRATION Your baby’s crying and breathing offers important clues to his lung health. Difficulty in breathing could indicate fluid in the lungs or other respiratory problems.

The test is scored out of 10, with each health indicator given a rating. A score between 7 and 10 is regarded as excellent, with Baby requiring only routine medical care. A score of 4 to 6 means your baby will need some medical assistance to improve his health. This may mean providing oxygen for your baby or massaging him for better circulation. A score below 4 requires urgent and specialised medical treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit.

It might happen that your baby has a low score at 1 and 5 minutes after birth but a better score at 10 minutes. This is considered normal, but it is a cause for concern if his score goes from 7 to 5 and then even lower. This is a problem that requires urgent medical attention.