apgar score
The Apgar score is named after a New York anesthesiologist, Dr. Virginia Apgar, who in 1952 described the score as a means to assess the baby's status 1 and 5-minutes after birth. The score evaluates 5 parameters each scored between 0 and 2 for as maximum of 10. At one minute and again five minutes after birth, the nurse or a doctor examines the baby and checks her for five different parameters: The baby’s heart rate is counted, breathing is checked, reflexes are assessed, muscle tone is evaluated and the baby’s color is checked. Often there is an alarm clock above the crib making sure these tests are done exactly on time.
