Content provision: tables and graphs
At birth, the midwife will assess the baby to check on the ability to cope with living outside the mother's body.
The most widely utilised checklist is the APGAR score which assesses the newborn's ability to breathe, the strength and rate of the heart beat and the colour of the baby.
Developed in 1953 by Virginia Apgar, the Apgar score shows how well the newborn is adapting to extra-uterine life. Apgar scores are often recorded at 1 minute, 5 minutes and 10 minutes of age. It is usual for the newborn to initially look very blue, or cyanosed, particularly in the fingers and toes. A maximum score of 10 is ideal and most babies will achieve this by 10 minutes old. A newborn baby who does not achieve over 7 or so, will need help with their breathing and will usually be admitted to a neonatal unit for support. This does not mean that the baby won't develop normally though.
Table of Apgar scores
| Score | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colour | Pale or blue | Pink body, blue hands and feet | Pink body and pink hands and feet |
| Heart rate | Absent | Less than 100 beats per minute | Over 100 beats per minute |
| Respiration | Absent | Slow and irregular | Good breathing and crying is possible |
| Response ability | Absent | Grimace or some movement in the face | Coughing, sneezing, pulling away |
| Muscle tone | Absent | Some flexing of arms and legs | Active, spontaneous movement |