APGAR Score Calculator (Newborn, 1 & 5 min)
Score the APGAR (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) of a newborn — 0 to 10, scored at 1 and 5 minutes after birth.
Reassuring (7–10)
Reassuring (7–10)
Refs: Apgar V, Anesth Analg 1953;32(4):260–267. AAP & ACOG Joint Committee Opinion 644 (2015, reaffirmed 2020). If the 5-minute score is <7, continue scoring every 5 minutes up to 20 minutes. APGAR is not a marker of asphyxia or a predictor of long-term outcome — it is for immediate triage. Clinical decision support tool; not a substitute for clinical judgment.
General calculation reads
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About this tool
The APGAR score (Virginia Apgar, 1953) is a rapid assessment of a newborn at one minute and five minutes after birth — a check that the baby's transition from intrauterine to extrauterine life is going well. Five components are each scored 0, 1, or 2: Appearance (skin colour), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace (reflex irritability), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (effort). The total ranges from 0 to 10. Scores are recorded at 1 minute (an indicator of how the baby tolerated labour) and 5 minutes (an indicator of how the baby is responding to resuscitation if any was needed). If the 5-minute score is below 7, scoring continues every 5 minutes up to 20 minutes. A low APGAR is not by itself a diagnosis of asphyxia or a predictor of long-term outcome — its purpose is immediate triage. This tool scores either or both time points side-by-side. Reference: Apgar V, Anesth Analg 1953;32(4):260–267. AAP/ACOG Joint Committee Opinion 644 (2015, reaffirmed 2020). Clinical decision support tool — confirm against the newborn examination; not a substitute for clinical judgment.
How to use it
- Pick a value (0, 1, or 2) for each of the five components, for each time point.
- Read the 1-minute and 5-minute totals.
- Add a 10-minute column if the 5-minute score was <7.
Frequently asked questions
- What does APGAR stand for?
- Appearance (skin colour), Pulse, Grimace (reflex), Activity (tone), Respiration. Coincidentally an acronym matching the name of the author, Virginia Apgar — who chose the mnemonic deliberately.
- What is a normal APGAR?
- A 1-minute score of 7 or above is reassuring; 4–6 indicates a moderately depressed infant who needs intervention; 0–3 indicates severe depression requiring immediate resuscitation. The 5-minute score reflects response to any resuscitation given.
- Does APGAR predict long-term outcome?
- Not by itself. AAP/ACOG explicitly note that APGAR is not a marker of intrapartum asphyxia and a single low score does not predict neurodevelopmental outcome — that requires multiple measures including cord gases and clinical course.
- When do you keep scoring beyond 5 minutes?
- If the 5-minute score is below 7, continue scoring every 5 minutes up to 20 minutes; this is the extended APGAR commonly recorded in NICU notes.
- How does APGAR work for preterm infants?
- Preterm babies often score lower for physiological reasons not related to compromise (e.g., lower tone, weaker reflex). Interpret APGAR in context — for very preterm infants the Combined APGAR (CAS) incorporates resuscitation interventions.
- Is data sent anywhere?
- No. Scoring runs in your browser.