Nanyuki Teaching & Referral
Hospital
APGAR scores
The Apgar score is taken at 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes after birth.
It should be recorded along with the details of resuscitation required and the duration of
resuscitation, eg airway suctioned thick meconium removed, bag-valve-mask ventilation given from
2 minutes to 10 minutes of age.
If the Apgars are very low, the breakdown of the score should be given
eg Apgar at 1 minutes=2… HR1 / breathing0 /tone0 / colour0/ reflex1
0
1
2
Heart rate
absent
<100
>100
Breathing
absent
Gasping/ weak/ slow
Good / strong cry
Muscle tone
Flaccid
Some flexion
Active movements
Colour
Pale / Blue
Blue hands and feet
Pink
Reflex irritability
No response
Grimace
Vigorous response
Automatic admission to NBU;
Any baby requiring
 chest compressions
 bag-valve-mask ventilation for longer than 5 minutes
 an Apgar score at 5 minutes of 0-6
1
Dr J. Le Geyt, Dr S.M. Kilonzo
August 2015