APGAR denotes Appearance, Pulse, Grimace response, Activity, and Respiration. These tests are done on the newborn immediately after birth to determine the muscle tone, heart rate of the baby, reflexes, skin color, and breathing rate in order to determine the best course of care for the baby.
Table 1: APGAR Score
| SIGN | SCORE | ||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 MIN | 5 MIN | |
| Appearance | Pale | Pink body; Blue extremities | All body pink | 1 | 1 |
| Pulse | Absent | Less than 100 | More than 100 | 2 | 2 |
| Grimace | No response | Grimace | Cry/Laugh | 1 | 1 |
| Activity | Flaccid muscle tone | Some flexion | Properly flexed | 1 | 2 |
| Respiration | Absent | Irregular; slow | Good Cry | 1 | 1 |
| Total Score | 6 | 7 | |||
- A normal APGAR score is usually 7 and above. Any score below 7 is abnormal.
- The nurse may foresee skin appearance which is mottled, patchy, or bluish. Seizures and weak cries may also be noticed.
- Yes. Diabetic infants have different assessment finding from average normal infants. Diabetic newborns would have weaker muscle activity compared to their average normal counterparts.
