Question

At 1 minute after birth, the nurse assesses the newborn to assign an Apgar score. The apical heart rate is 110 bpm, and the infant is crying vigorously with the limbs flexed. The infant's trunk is pink, but the hands and feet are blue. What is the Apgar score for this infant?

a. 7
b. 8
c. 9
d. 10

Answer 1

The Apgar score for this baby is 5, indicating that medical attention may be required.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Apgar score is a quick assessment of a newborn's condition at 1 minute after birth. It consists of five criteria: appearance (skin color), pulse (heart rate), grimace (reflex), activity (muscle tone), and respiration. Each criterion is assigned a score of 0, 1, or 2.

In this case, the baby's apical heart rate is 110 bpm (which would receive a score of 2), and the baby is crying vigorously and has flexed limbs (which would also receive a score of 2). However, the hands and feet being blue indicate a slightly lower score for appearance, possibly a score of 1. Adding up the scores, the Apgar score for this baby would be 5. Since the score is below 7, this baby may require medical attention.