Editing Apgar score (section)

==Criteria==
{| class="wikitable"
|+The five criteria of the Apgar score:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/The-Apgar-Score?IsMobileSet=false|title=The Apgar Score|website=www.acog.org|access-date=2019-08-01}}</ref>
!
!Score of 0
!Score of 1
!Score of 2
|-
| '''A'''ppearance
|blue or pale all over||blue at extremities, <br />body pink<br />([[acrocyanosis]])||no [[cyanosis]]<br />body and extremities pink
|-
| [[Pulse rate|'''P'''ulse]]
|absent||<&nbsp;100 beats per minute||≥&nbsp;100 beats per minute
|-
| '''G'''rimace ([[reflex]]&nbsp;irritability)
|no response to stimulation
|grimace or suction on aggressive stimulation
|cry on stimulation
|-
| '''A'''ctivity ([[muscle tone]])
|none||some [[flexion]]|| flexed arms and legs that resist extension
|-
| [[Breathing|'''R'''espiratory effort]]
|absent||weak, irregular, gasping||strong, robust cry
|}

===Interpretation===
[[Image:Apgar score.png|thumb|right|350px|Mind map showing summary for the Apgar score]]
Various members of the healthcare team, including midwives, nurses, or physicians, may be involved in the Apgar scoring of a neonate.<ref name=":5"/> The test is generally done at one and five minutes after birth and may be repeated later if the score is and remains low. Scores of seven and above are generally normal; four to six, fairly low; and three and below are generally regarded as critically low and cause for immediate resuscitative efforts.<ref name="Newborn 819–822">{{Cite journal|last1=Newborn|first1=American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Fetus And|last2=Practice|first2=American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric|date=2015-10-01|title=The Apgar Score|journal=Pediatrics|language=en|volume=136|issue=4|pages=819–822|doi=10.1542/peds.2015-2651|issn=0031-4005|pmid=26416932|s2cid=31689176|doi-access=free}}</ref>

A low score on the one-minute mark may show that the neonate requires medical attention,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Casey BM, McIntire DD, Leveno KJ | title = The continuing value of the Apgar score for the assessment of newborn infants | journal = The New England Journal of Medicine | volume = 344 | issue = 7 | pages = 467–71 | date = February 2001 | pmid = 11172187 | doi = 10.1056/NEJM200102153440701 | doi-access = free }}</ref> but does not necessarily indicate a long-term problem, particularly if the score improves at the five-minute mark. A constellation of factors may contribute to a low Apgar score value.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Pediatrics|first=American Academy of|date=2014-05-01|title=Neonatal Encephalopathy and Neurologic Outcome, Second EditionReport of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Task Force on Neonatal Encephalopathy|journal=Pediatrics|language=en|volume=133|issue=5|pages=e1482–e1488|doi=10.1542/peds.2014-0724|issn=0031-4005|doi-access=free}}</ref> An Apgar score that remains below three at five minutes and later times, such as 10, 15, or 30 minutes, does not provide supporting evidence for a specific illness but can sometimes be among the first indicators of neonatal encephalopathy.<ref name=":4" /><ref name="Newborn 819–822" /><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK328263/|title=Care of the baby and woman immediately after birth|date=December 2014|publisher=National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK)}}</ref> However, the Apgar test's purpose is to determine quickly whether or not a newborn needs immediate medical care. It is not designed to predict long-term health issues.<ref name="Apgar53">{{cite journal|author-link=Virginia Apgar|vauthors=Apgar V|year=1953|title=A proposal for a new method of evaluation of the newborn infant|url=https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/cpbbkg.pdf|journal=Current Researches in Anesthesia & Analgesia|volume=32|issue=4|pages=260–7|doi=10.1213/00000539-195301000-00041|pmid=13083014}}</ref>

A score of 10 is uncommon due to the prevalence of transient [[cyanosis]], and does not substantially differ from a score of nine. Transient cyanosis is common, particularly in babies born at high altitude.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Gonzales GF, Salirrosas A | title = Arterial oxygen saturation in healthy newborns delivered at term in Cerro de Pasco (4340 m) and Lima (150 m) | journal = Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology | volume = 3 | pages = 46 | date = September 2005 | pmid = 16156890 | pmc = 1215518 | doi = 10.1186/1477-7827-3-46 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

=== Implementation ===
[[File:HumanNewborn.JPG|thumb|Newborn crying right after birth]]
In cases where a newborn needs resuscitation, it should be initiated before the Apgar score is assigned at the one-minute mark. Therefore, the Apgar score is not used to determine if initial resuscitation is needed, rather it is used to determine if resuscitation efforts should be continued. Variation between the one-minute and five-minute Apgar scores can be used to assess an infant's response to resuscitation. If the score is below seven at the five-minute mark, the Neonatal Resuscitation Program guidelines specify that the infant's Apgar score should be reassessed at five-minute intervals for up to 20 minutes.<ref name=":0" />

Exceedingly few infants who have an Apgar score of 0 at 10 minutes of age survive with intact neurological function. As a result, the 2011 Neonatal Resuscitation Program suggests that if no pulse is appreciable at 10 minutes of life, "discontinuation of resuscitative efforts may be appropriate."<ref name="Newborn 819–822"/> However, in a recent retrospective study including 17 infants with an Apgar score of 0 at 10 minutes who received [[therapeutic hypothermia]], 4 of the 8 surviving babies had no neurological abnormalities, and only one infant had severe abnormalities, as assessed through [[Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain|brain MRI]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Ayrapetyan|first1=Marina|last2=Talekar|first2=Kiran|last3=Schwabenbauer|first3=Kathleen|last4=Carola|first4=David|last5=Solarin|first5=Kolawole|last6=McElwee|first6=Dorothy|last7=Adeniyi-Jones|first7=Susan|last8=Greenspan|first8=Jay|last9=Aghai|first9=Zubair H.|date=April 2019|title=Apgar Scores at 10 Minutes and Outcomes in Term and Late Preterm Neonates with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in the Cooling Era|journal=American Journal of Perinatology|volume=36|issue=5|pages=545–554|doi=10.1055/s-0038-1670637|issn=0735-1631|pmc=8039809|pmid=30208498}}</ref> 

During neonatal resuscitation, Apgar scores may not accurately represent the condition of the neonate as resuscitation measures (i.e. positive pressure ventilation and chest compressions) may artificially elevate scores. As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists encourage the use of an expanded Apgar score report, which records resuscitation efforts utilized at each time point.<ref name="Newborn 819–822"/>

A systematic review that analyzed the relationship between umbilical cord pH and neonatal outcomes found that low cord pH is strongly correlated with mortality, morbidity and cerebral palsy in childhood.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Malin GL, Morris RK, Khan KS | title = Strength of association between umbilical cord pH and perinatal and long term outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis | journal = BMJ | volume = 340 | issue = may13 1 | pages = c1471 | date = May 2010 | pmid = 20466789 | pmc = 2869402 | doi = 10.1136/bmj.c1471 }}</ref> To reduce the risk of negative outcomes, it is recommended to obtain a sample of the umbilical artery blood gas when a newborn has an Apgar score of five or less at the five-minute mark.<ref name=":0" />

Recognizing the importance of skin to skin contact (SSC), the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO), as part of the [[Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative]], recommends that the Apgar score should be done while SSC is underway whenever possible.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal|last1=Feldman-Winter|first1=Lori|last2=Goldsmith|first2=Jay P.|last3=Newborn|first3=Committee on Fetus And|last4=Syndrome|first4=Task Force on Sudden Infant Death|date=2016-09-01|title=Safe Sleep and Skin-to-Skin Care in the Neonatal Period for Healthy Term Newborns|journal=Pediatrics|volume=138|issue=3|pages=e20161889|language=en|doi=10.1542/peds.2016-1889|issn=0031-4005|pmid=27550975|s2cid=19866683|doi-access=free}}</ref> This recommendation was adopted by the [[American Academy of Pediatrics]] in 2009.<ref name=":6" />

=== Limitations ===
There are numerous factors that contribute to the Apgar score, several of which are subjective. Examples of subjective factors include but are not limited to color, tone, and reflex irritability.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Apgar score: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia |url=https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003402.htm |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=medlineplus.gov |language=en}}</ref> Preterm infants may receive a lower score in these categories due to lack of maturity rather than asphyxia. Other factors that may contribute to variability among infants are birth defects, sedation of the mother during labor, gestational age or trauma. Inappropriately using the Apgar score has led to errors in diagnosing asphyxia.<ref name=":0" />

Various studies have shown that the Apgar score has variability between individual medical providers. One study was done in which several health care providers were assigned to give Apgar scores to the same infants. Results showed an Apgar score consistency of 55% to 82% between health care providers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Montgomery|first=Kristen S.|date=2000|title=Apgar Scores: Examining the Long-term Significance|journal=The Journal of Perinatal Education|volume=9|issue=3|pages=5–9|doi=10.1624/105812400X87716|issn=1058-1243|pmc=1595023|pmid=17273212}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Livingston|first=Jacquelynn|date=1990-11-01|title=Interrater reliability of the apgar score in term and premature infants|journal=Applied Nursing Research|volume=3|issue=4|pages=164–165|doi=10.1016/S0897-1897(05)80139-9|pmid=2252404|issn=0897-1897}}</ref> Ideally, to limit variability and bolster consistency, it is preferred that the same individual determine the 1-minute and 5-minute Apgar scores.<ref name=":5" />

A 2023 paper of nine million babies, found that non-white babies were given lower Apgar scores than white babies, as their darker skin color often results in lower scores on the appearance measure, making them more likely to receive medical care that might not be needed.<ref>Rabin, Roni Caryn. [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/13/health/apgar-score-black-infants.html "Why Does a Routine Test of Newborns Reward 'Pink' Skin? The Apgar test grades infants in five areas, including skin tone. Babies of color score lower, and may be subjected to unnecessary treatment."], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 15, 2024. Accessed July 16, 2024. "Dr. Grünebaum led a study that analyzed the Apgar scores of more than nine million American babies born between 2016 and 2019. Overall, he found, only 2.6 percent of newborns got a perfect score. But the odds for a Black baby to do so were less than half those of a white infant: 3.3 percent of white babies scored a perfect 10, compared with 1.4 percent of Black newborns, the study found.... But critics of the Apgar score’s reliance on skin color fear that it is resulting in extra medical treatment being heaped on babies of color who are healthy, potentially sending them to intensive care unnecessarily."</ref>