Final answer:
The normal range for a baby's heart rate is 120-160 bpm, which is higher than an adult's resting heart rate. This range is used in assessing the baby's condition at birth, particularly during the Apgar test, which is also an indicator for potential distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fetal heart rate (FHR) is an important indicator of the baby's well-being before birth and is monitored during labor to ensure the baby is not in distress. In the scenario described, the best response to Mr. Roberts's question about what the baby's heart rate (HR) should be is b) 120-160 beats per minute (bpm). This range is considered normal for the fetal heart rate. The FHR tends to be higher than an adult's resting HR, as the younger the individual, the higher the heart rate, with infants having a higher baseline than older children and adults. Moreover, during the Apgar test, which is conducted at 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth, one of the criteria assessed is the infant's heart rate. A heart rate below 100 bpm would generally score low on the Apgar scale and might be a sign of distress, necessitating medical attention.