When complications arise during the birthing process, it's essential for parents to understand the many tools healthcare providers and doctors use to assess the health of their newborns.
The APGAR score is one that parents should particularly take note of.
This simple yet critical evaluation can serve as an early warning sign for possible birth injuries. It's a helpful test for parents to recognize when something may have gone wrong during labor and delivery.
In cases of medical negligence, APGAR can support legal claims filed by the victims.
A Quick Guide to APGAR Scores
The APGAR test was created by Dr. Virginia Apgar in 1952 and has since been widely used by doctors around the world. APGAR is a quick, easy, and standardized medical test that doctors do at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. This test evaluates the newborn's physical condition, specifically in the five categories listed below:
- Appearance
- Pulse
- Grimace
- Activity
- Respiration
Each category is rated on a scale of 0 to 2, with 2 being a good overall score. Newborns can score as high as 10 points on an APGAR test. Getting a total score of 7 or more is ideal, but any number lower than that will have the following medical interpretations:
- A score of 0 to 3 points indicates a critically low condition
- A score of 4 to 6 points suggests a moderately concerning condition
- A score of 7 to 10 points indicates a healthy or normal condition
As stated by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), cerebral palsy and death in newborns are closely associated with a score of 0 to 3 during the 5-minute APGAR test. Furthermore, if a baby consistently scores less than 3 points at the 10-, 15-, and 20-minute APGAR tests, they are likely to develop poor cognitive abilities.
Connection Between an APGAR Score and Birth Injuries
A low APGAR score can be an early indicator that your newborn was injured or in distress during the birthing process. Several factors during a mother's labor and delivery may influence the APGAR score. In most cases, a low score result may have been due to the following scenarios:
- Premature delivery
- Late-term birth (delivery after 42 weeks)
- Prolonged labor and delivery, especially with C-section births
- C-section delivery is done with general anesthesia instead of spinal epidural anesthesia
- A baby's birth weight below 5.5 pounds or above 8.8 pounds
- A breech birth
- Presence of meconium in the amniotic fluid
- Use of narcotic pain medications or oxytocin during labor
- Other delivery complications
If your baby scored less than 7 points, this may mean that your newborn may have experienced the following:
- Cardio-respiratory arrest
- Central nervous system depression
- Hypoventilation, blocked airway, or other breathing issues
- Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Oxygen deprivation
- Metabolic acidosis
- Sepsis
Suffering from any of those birth injuries may result in the following:
- Developmental delays, such as problems with learning and poor memory
- Severe, lifelong medical conditions like cerebral palsy
- Behavior problems and mood disorders
- Lowered life expectancy
The severe and serious impacts of birth injuries on a newborn are truly frightening. It's an unfortunate incident that may happen to parents and their beloved children. If you are one of the parents with a birth injury story, we encourage you to file a claim to hold healthcare and medical professionals responsible and accountable for the life-altering damages they have caused.
Get Legal Guidance for Your Birth Injury Case
Did your baby score low on the APGAR test and is now facing health issues? There may have been medical errors or negligence during your labor and delivery that could have contributed to your newborn's birth injuries. If this is the case, you may be eligible to file a birth injury claim.
We encourage parents to reach out to The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary for proper legal guidance in filing birth injury claims. Our experienced and committed legal team can evaluate your case for free. This way, you know how to proceed with seeking justice for your child's health conditions.