On delivery of a newborn infant, a nurse performs an initial assessment of the infant. The nurse plans to determine the Apgar score:
a) At 1 minute after birth and 5 minutes after birth
b) Immediately at birth, 3 minutes after birth, and 10 minutes after birth
c) At 1 minute after birth, 5 minutes after birth, and 10 minutes after birth
d) At 1 minute after birth, after the cord is cut, and after the mother delivers the placenta.
---------------------------
Apgar's score, the first test to evaluate a newborn, is carried out in the delivery room immediately after the baby is born. This test was developed by the anesthetist Virginia Apgar in 1952 to know as quickly as possible the physical condition of a newborn and to determine any immediate need for additional medical care or emergency treatment.
The test is usually given to the baby twice: the first time, one minute after birth and the second time, five minutes after birth. Sometimes, if the baby's physical condition is worrisome or if the result of the second test is low, the baby can be evaluated a third time 10 minutes after birth.
Five factors are used to assess the physical condition of the baby and each factor is evaluated on a scale from 0 to 2, with 2 being the highest possible score. The factors are as follows:
- appearance (skin color).
- pulse (heart rate).
- irritability (reflex response).
- activity and muscle tone.
- breathing (rhythm and respiratory effort).
Doctors, midwives (midwives) and nurses add the scores of these five factors to calculate the Apgar score. The score a baby can get ranges from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible score.
What does the Apgar score mean?
A baby who gets a score of 8 or higher on the Apgar test is usually considered to have good health. However, getting a lower score does not mean that the baby is sick or has abnormalities. The only thing that means is that the baby needs some special immediate treatment, such as sucking the airways or administering oxygen, to help him breathe, after which he will improve.
Five minutes after birth, the Apgar test is performed again. If the baby's score was low on the first evaluation and it is found that it has not improved or the medical staff is concerned about the condition of the baby for other reasons, the medical and nursing staff will continue to apply the necessary treatment to the baby and will monitor it carefully. Some babies are born with conditions that require special medical care and there are others who have more time than usual to adapt to extrauterine life. Most babies who get Apgar scores a little low on the first evaluation end up adapting well after a short time.
It is important that first-time parents consider the Apgar score with some relativity. The test was developed to help health professionals assess the physical condition of a newborn in order to know as soon as possible whether or not the baby needs immediate medical care. It was not developed to predict the health status, behavior, intellectual level, personality or long-term performance of a baby. Very few babies get the maximum score of 10, since their hands and feet tend to remain bluish until they get warm. And there are completely healthy babies who get lower scores than usual, especially the first time they are tested.
Keep in mind that slightly low Apgar scores (especially those obtained one minute after birth) are common in some newborns, especially those born in high-risk births, after a C-section or in complicated births. Low Apgar scores are also typical of premature babies, who tend to have less muscle tone than term babies and who, in many cases, require more supervision and respiratory support due to their lung immaturity.
If your child's pediatrician and / or midwife (midwife) are concerned about the Apgar score obtained, they will let you know and explain what may be causing problems for your baby, if any, and what treatment is receiving.
With the time needed to adapt to their new extrauterine environment and vpm the necessary medical care, most babies respond well. So, instead of focusing so much on a figure, dedicate yourself to enjoying the arrival of your newborn!
a) At 1 minute after birth and 5 minutes after birth
b) Immediately at birth, 3 minutes after birth, and 10 minutes after birth
c) At 1 minute after birth, 5 minutes after birth, and 10 minutes after birth
d) At 1 minute after birth, after the cord is cut, and after the mother delivers the placenta.
---------------------------
Apgar's score, the first test to evaluate a newborn, is carried out in the delivery room immediately after the baby is born. This test was developed by the anesthetist Virginia Apgar in 1952 to know as quickly as possible the physical condition of a newborn and to determine any immediate need for additional medical care or emergency treatment.
The test is usually given to the baby twice: the first time, one minute after birth and the second time, five minutes after birth. Sometimes, if the baby's physical condition is worrisome or if the result of the second test is low, the baby can be evaluated a third time 10 minutes after birth.
Five factors are used to assess the physical condition of the baby and each factor is evaluated on a scale from 0 to 2, with 2 being the highest possible score. The factors are as follows:
- appearance (skin color).
- pulse (heart rate).
- irritability (reflex response).
- activity and muscle tone.
- breathing (rhythm and respiratory effort).
Doctors, midwives (midwives) and nurses add the scores of these five factors to calculate the Apgar score. The score a baby can get ranges from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible score.
What does the Apgar score mean?
A baby who gets a score of 8 or higher on the Apgar test is usually considered to have good health. However, getting a lower score does not mean that the baby is sick or has abnormalities. The only thing that means is that the baby needs some special immediate treatment, such as sucking the airways or administering oxygen, to help him breathe, after which he will improve.
Five minutes after birth, the Apgar test is performed again. If the baby's score was low on the first evaluation and it is found that it has not improved or the medical staff is concerned about the condition of the baby for other reasons, the medical and nursing staff will continue to apply the necessary treatment to the baby and will monitor it carefully. Some babies are born with conditions that require special medical care and there are others who have more time than usual to adapt to extrauterine life. Most babies who get Apgar scores a little low on the first evaluation end up adapting well after a short time.
It is important that first-time parents consider the Apgar score with some relativity. The test was developed to help health professionals assess the physical condition of a newborn in order to know as soon as possible whether or not the baby needs immediate medical care. It was not developed to predict the health status, behavior, intellectual level, personality or long-term performance of a baby. Very few babies get the maximum score of 10, since their hands and feet tend to remain bluish until they get warm. And there are completely healthy babies who get lower scores than usual, especially the first time they are tested.
Keep in mind that slightly low Apgar scores (especially those obtained one minute after birth) are common in some newborns, especially those born in high-risk births, after a C-section or in complicated births. Low Apgar scores are also typical of premature babies, who tend to have less muscle tone than term babies and who, in many cases, require more supervision and respiratory support due to their lung immaturity.
If your child's pediatrician and / or midwife (midwife) are concerned about the Apgar score obtained, they will let you know and explain what may be causing problems for your baby, if any, and what treatment is receiving.
With the time needed to adapt to their new extrauterine environment and vpm the necessary medical care, most babies respond well. So, instead of focusing so much on a figure, dedicate yourself to enjoying the arrival of your newborn!
Labels
Postpartum