Maternal and newborn
APGAR
Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration
The five-part newborn scoring system, assessed shortly after birth and again a few minutes later. Each item scores 0, 1 or 2, for a total out of 10. The letters are a backronym — the score is named after Dr. Virginia Apgar, who devised it.
What each letter stands for
- 1 Appearance — skin color.
- 2 Pulse — heart rate.
- 3 Grimace — reflex response to stimulation.
- 4 Activity — muscle tone.
- 5 Respiration — respiratory effort and cry.
How it gets tested
Two things get asked: what the letters stand for, and the scoring arithmetic — five items, 0 to 2 each, maximum 10.
Related terms
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