When your baby is born he or she will have to undergo several tests. The very first test that your baby will have done is called the Apgar test. This test will be done a minimum of two times, the first being 1 minute after he or she is born and the second at 5 minutes after birth. This test is to check 5 very important physical conditions to make sure that your baby doesn’t need any immediate or emergency intervention. The five things they test are activity, pulse, grimace, appearance and respiration (APGAR) and is done in the labor and delivery room with you there.

Each test is given a score of 0 to 2, with 2 being the highest possible score. The test in its entirety is then scored on a 0 to 10 rate with 0 being the lowest score and 10 being the highest. If there is concern due to really low test scores from the first two tests, they will test your baby again at 10 minutes. Most babies never score a perfect 10 and unless you ask, you probably won’t be informed of what your baby scored. From experience, I didn’t even know that the testing was going on because it all happened so fast and there was so much going on within the first 5 minutes after giving birth.

Normally babies score around 7 on both the first and second test. Any score 7 and above are great. Parents, keep in mind that it is also normal for a baby to score lower than 7 on their first testing and then score higher on the next. If your baby has scored lower than 7 on all three test times, don’t panic. This just means that they might need a little extra help such and suctioning the airways more or oxygen for a short while and will be just fine.

The Apgar test is in no way a test that will determine how your child will develop or if there are any other problems that may develop. The test was developed strictly to aid healthcare professionals in diagnosing any immediate care needs. Chances are there won’t be anything to worry about so don’t unless you’re told to and relax. To see what exactly they look for when doing the testing and what signs give the highest and lowest scores click here for an easy to read chart.