The Apgar score has long served as a rapid and effective tool for assessing the immediate physiological state of a newborn. By evaluating five key criteria—heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, ...

In the 1930s and 1940s, Dr. Virginia Apgar noticed something odd. Despite the US infant mortality rate decreasing overall, a high number of infants were still dying within 24 hours of birth. Part of ...

A standard screening test given to newborns minutes after birth is a less accurate predictor of infant mortality for Black babies than other children, a new study shows, but the authors said the Apgar ...

The Apgar test grades infants in five areas, including skin tone. Babies of color score lower, and may be subjected to unnecessary treatment. By Roni Caryn Rabin Shortly after they’re born, infants ...

You might not be familiar with Virginia Apgar, but her impact likely touched your life the moment you were born. Best known for creating a simple test, the longtime Tenafly resident revolutionized the ...

Is the infant breathing easily? Easy breathing means the respiratory rate is normal (40–60 breaths per minute), respirations are regular (not irregular, no apnea), and that there are no signs of ...