Your baby will be checked at birth, and then again after the first five minutes, and given a score called the Apgar score.

The test is named after the doctor who first developed this checklist to give a quick picture of a new baby’s condition and help medical staff decide whether special care or some other help is needed.

Your baby is checked on:

Appearance (colour)

• 0 for pale.
• 1 for pink with blue hands and feet. 
• 2 for pink all over (in black or Asian babies, the colour of the mouth, palms and soles of feet will be checked).

Pulse (heartbeat)

• 0 if none can be found. 
• 1 for a heartbeat below 100. 
• 2 for a heartbeat above 100 beats per minute.

Grimace (a response to stimulation)

• 0 if no response.
• 1 if the baby grimaces. 
• 2 if the baby responds with a strong cry.  

Activity (muscle tone)

• 0 if the baby is weak or shows no activity.
• 1 if the baby shows some limited movement.
• 2 for strong movements.

Respiration (breathing) 

• 0 for none.
• 1 for slow and irregular breaths. 
• 2 for good (usually involving crying!)

When the numbers are added up, the highest score is 10.

What does it mean?

• Babies with an Apgar score of below 4 may need special care.
• Babies with an Apgar score of between 4 and 6 may need resuscitation - medical staff will often clear out their airways and give oxygen to help them breathe. 
• Babies with an Apgar score of 7 or better at one minute should do well. Babies with scores below 7 may need some careful watching.