Apgar Score

Apgar score is a term in medicine for a measure of the physical condition of a newborn child immediately after birth. A score of 10 is considered the best possible condition. Heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, response to stimulation, and skin colouration are given points 0, 1, and 2 (a score of 2 meaning the newborn is in optimal condition, 0 being in distress) depending on their condition and added to obtain the score. This method was devised in 1953 by an American anesthesiologist Virginia Apgar (1909-74) and was named after her.