For Patients/Families

Apgar score
A numerical summary of a newborn's condition at birth based on the five signs noted in the table. The score is measured at 1 and 5 minutes. Additional measurements are made every five minutes thereafter if the score is <7 at five minutes until the score reaches 7 or greater. Prematurely born infants generally have lower scores than full term infants. The Apgar score does not predict future development with accuracy. The score was developed by Virginia Apgar and represents a rough estimate of the condition of the infant at birth.