Since I am about to have baby #3 any day now I thought I would write about the baby’s first exam – The Apgar exam. Typically this exam is given at  1 minute  and 5 minutes after the baby’s birth. Sometimes a baby is whisked away from the mom to have this exam performed and other times, usually if you have a midwife the baby can stay with you. If you prefer to not have your baby separated from you so quickly after birth be sure to talk to you care provider about that. Of course the Apgar does not give any insight into how intelligent your baby is, just a general idea of good health. A baby with a score of 7/10 or higher is good. If the baby has below 7 points he or she may require special medical care and with less than 4 points, resuscitation is necessary. Less than 2% of babies score below 7 points so there is a very good chance your baby will be healthy.

Here is what is included in the exam:

0 points
 1 point
 2 points
Heart rate No heart rate Below 100 bpm Above 100 bpm
Breathing No breathing Slow and irregular Good
Muscle tone Limp and loose Some flexing of arms and legs Actively moving
Reflexes No response Grimaces or frowns when
reflexes are stimulated		 Vigorously cries when
reflexes are stimulated
Colour Blue and pale Body is pink but hands and feet
are blue		 Entire body is pink