Understanding all the numbers related to the Apgar Score isn’t easy–until now. The Apgar Score is a test run on infants one and five minutes after they are born. It tests for their appearance, grimace, pulse, activity and respiration, and each is scored on a scale of zero to two, with two being the best score. Once tested, the doctors and nurses add these five factors together for the Agpar Score, which is on a scale of 0-10. Ten is the best score, but few babies reach this number because most babies do not score high for their skin color (appearance); most babies’ hands and feet remain blue after birth until they have warmed up. Any score of a seven or above means your baby is in good health, but perfectly healthy babies can have a lower score, too. It may take them more time to adapt to the outside world. Your doctor will let you know if your baby’s score and adaptation (or lack thereof) is a cause for concern.

This article was originally published in Spring 2024.