ipl-logo

Virginia Apgar Score Essay

1388 Words6 Pages

"Nobody, but nobody, is going to stop breathing on me!" Dr. Virginia Apgar, explaining why she keeps resuscitation equipment with her at all times. It has been commented on from doctors all over the world that all babies born in a hospital after Dr. Apgar, have been looked at first by the eyes of Dr. Apgar. She created the simple but rapid method for assessing newborns. The “Apgar score” which is still in practice day and is used by obstetric teams, the assessment reduces infant mortality and laid the foundations of neonatology. Virginia made a difference in the medical world and some of the advancements that take place in the healthcare world. Apgar was born in Westfield, New Jersey, on June 7, 1909, to a family that never sat down. “She was …show more content…

One caregiver may not give the same APGAR score to a newborn as another caregiver. A newborn could possibly need other tests to learn about his health now and in the future. If a baby was born prematurely then it is possible that his or hers APGAR score will be lower then a full term baby. The Apgar score is useful for caregivers if a newborn has a low birth weight, between 3.3 and 5.5 pounds. The Apgar score may not be as helpful to caregivers for newborns with very low birth weights, below 3.3 pounds. Most APGAR assessments are done at Hospital deliveries but some mothers choose to have at home deliveries. A study published online on June 21 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, showed that home deliveries were 10 times more likely to result in an Apgar score of 0 than hospital deliveries. “The study included data on nearly 14 million singleton, full-term births of infants of normal weight from 2007 to 2010. In addition, home births attended by midwives resulted in an relative risk of neonatal seizures or serious neurologic disorders compared with hospital delivery by physicians”

Open Document