7. Apgar Score for Newborns

Charlotte Pasquet
In 1953, Dr. Virginia Apgar, an anesthesiologist at New York–Presbyterian Hospital, published her Apgar score, which quickly determined the health of a newborn child. The score was calculated based on appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration and was used to quantify the effects of ob-gyn anesthesia on babies. A score of 7 or above was considered normal, while a score of 3 or lower was cause for immediate medical attention.
The score received some criticism since some of the criteria were subjective, but this test proved very useful as it allowed doctors to quickly assess a newborn’s health at just one minute of age.