A tool to support the clinical decisions of doctors and health professionals, not for self-diagnosis or self-treatment.
This calculator is inside the patient's file in Clinicato: open it from "Medical tools" while you chart the visit, it fills in from the patient's details and vital signs where they are recorded, and adds its result to the visit's plan in one tap, with the "Medical tools" add-on. Try it in your clinic
Calculator
How it works and when to use it
Each of the five signs, appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respiration, scores 0 to 2, so the total runs from 0 to 10, recorded at 1 and 5 minutes after birth.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics, 7 to 10 is reassuring, 4 to 6 moderately abnormal and 0 to 3 low, and a 5-minute score under 7 is repeated every 5 minutes up to 20 minutes.
Reference: Apgar V. Curr Res Anesth Analg 1953;32:260-7; American Academy of Pediatrics and ACOG. The Apgar Score, Committee Opinion No. 644. Obstet Gynecol 2015;126:e52-5 (reaffirmed)
Frequently asked questions
Is resuscitation delayed until the Apgar score is known?
No, resuscitation follows the Neonatal Resuscitation Program and starts before the first minute when needed, the score describes the newborn and does not decide when to start.
Why do most healthy newborns score 9 at one minute?
Blue hands and feet are common in the first minutes, so appearance scores 1 instead of 2.
Does a low Apgar score predict the child's future?
The score alone does not predict long-term neurological outcome, and it is not used alone to diagnose asphyxia.
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Clinic software for this specialty
Try Clinicato for your clinic
These calculators are free here for everyone, and in Clinicato 49 medical tools work inside the patient's file with the "Medical tools" add-on: filled from the visit and the vital signs, with the result added to the visit's plan, next to appointments, prescriptions and invoices.