Low APGAR scores?

[AC7179]

I just started a class last night in which the professor explained that 40 years ago, babies with below a 7 APGAR were looked at to have developmental problems. Now, because of early intervention, these problems are not always life long and can be overcame. When my daughter was born, her APGAR was a 5. She was stuck in the birth canal and had pooped (Sorry if TMI) and they didn't want her breathing that in. I'm so upset because it was caused because of a dr.'s negligence.....and if she has long term problems I will be so devastated. Anyway, I don't know what her 5 minute APGAR score was. The first 10 minutes were pretty scary, but once they got her going, she was fine and no one ever mentioned anything about long term effects. Her heartbeat never wavered, she just wasn't breathing when she came out. After a few minutes of suctioning, she gave a weak cry and then a strong one. She is now 1 and has met all her milestones early or one time, was walking at 8.5 months, etc. Is this something I should be concerned about now? Someone told me it may affect her reading skills later in life? Does anyone know enough about child development to know if this is true or not?

 

[KirstenB]

Sorry, I can't give you any factual info. Our dd is now 7. My dr. warned me that she had already swallowed her meconium in utero, so we wouldn't be able to see her right away at birth. Her apgar at birth was a 4, which the doctor said not to worry about immediately, because they took her right away for respiratory therapy. She's doing fine in school, well-coordinated, etc, so I don't feel there were any lingering effects.

Everyone's different. I guess it depends on why the Apgar's were low, and more importantly was it something they could treat right away, or did it signal an underlying condition. It sounds like your child and ours had the same issue.

 

[bananiem]

40 years ago people with babies who had Down's Syndrome were also told to institutionalize them too. You used the word "looked" at. Does that mean they were followed to see if they had problems? I guess I'd like to know what exactly your prof meant by that.
Today most school districts will want to do a preschool check on kids between the ages of 3-5. They will screen for developmental delays that haven't been noticed at well-child checks. They are able to get many kids "caught up" before kindergarten.
My advice to you is the same I'd give any parent. Read to your child!!! It's never to early to start. I believe the studies that say it stimulates the brain and the kids end up smarter.

 

[phillybeth]

Low APGARs at birth are not a strong indicator of development problems. All APGARs really indicate is what sort of support a neonate might need. Plenty of babies born with low APGARS go on to have no problems at all, and plenty of babies with high APGARS have developmental delays etc.

 

[jennyl772003]

I wouldn't worry about it. I am thinking that you KNOW why your child's score was low. It was from the stress of being stuck and all of that.

My son had a low APGAR (can't remember what) and in hindsight it is common for children with my son't disability to have low APGAR scores. I think they may mean more of the "unexplained" low APGARs though. He had no trauma or anything at birth.

 

[Divamomto3]

I think my son's apgar score at one minute was a 7 and it came up at 5 minutes. He was stuck in the birth canal and aspirated meconium also. He'll be 13 this month and he is totally normal and fine and always has been. I never gave it a second thought. He was grayish in color at birth, needed oxygen and got whisked to the NICU for the first 5 hours of his life...he's fine today. I don't think you can base development on one indicator.

 

[padams]

My ob-gyn told me that apgar scores only tell the doctors and nurses how much support a newborn needs (breathing, heart rate, etc.). Other than that, he said apgar scores are just something for parents to obsess about...

I think you should talk to your pediatrician so he can reassure you about your child.

 

[Maleficent13]

My ob-gym told me that apgar scores only tell the doctors and nurses how much support a newborn needs (breathing, heart rate, etc.). Other than that, he said apgar scores are just something for parents to obsess about...

I think you should talk to your pediatrician so he can reassure you about your child.

Excellent advice.

 

[pilikia97]

Another vote for "Don't worry too much about it" here...my little sister's score was a 2 or 3 because the cord wrapped around her neck in the canal and she was deprived of oxygen! She spent 2 days in NNIC and was sent home 3 days after that. Now she is almost 23 years old and has absolutely no physical or developemental problems at all! In fact, she is training to be a veterinarian!

 

[julia & nicks mom]

my beautiful perfectly normal 5 year old niece's initial apgar was a 3

if she is meeting all her milestones - you shouldn't worry!!

 

[mudnuri]

my DD7 was basically a 2 when she was born...pulse- VERY faint pulse...no breath

She delivered in 1 hour 47 minutes from the time my water was broken- she wasn an appointment baby. Her chest was bigger than her head and she got stuck, head delived chest stuck. Her shoulder would not drop, they had to break her clavical to deliver her. Her apgar at 10 minutes was 10, and she's had nothing wrong with her in the 7 years (almost 8) since her birth.

She is reading almost 3 full grades ahead, math is 1 grade above, and her comprehension is way beyond where she should be in 3rd grade. She also went to kindergarten at 4 years old...

Dont worry about a low apgar.

Brandy

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Our dd was born with a low APGAR score of 2! But, she also was struggling to breathe at birth after a long delivery, which turned into a C-section. Her head was prematurely fused so she couldn't come out. And, her face was suffering from her birth defect which means it doesn't grow out normally. That being said, however, when they went to intubate her (put a breathing tube in her), they quickly upgraded her score when she yanked the breathing tube out 3 times! She had a lot better reflexes than they believed.
I reckon to her it was a matter of priorities, she didn't want that dratted thing in.
Kim

 

[AC7179]

Thanks for all the reassurance. I will wait to bring it up until her next appointment and rest a little easier until then.

 

[ahutton]

DS was an APGAR 1 at birth. Placenta abrupted when my water broke. I was out - emergency C-section w/ general anesthesia (long day - can't spell). He was in NICU for 5 days. He is now (today!!) 8 months old, he just hit the 20 pound mark, is 95% height, knows his name, loves all music, babbles, sits up and is trying really hard to crawl. So far his initial score (which is as low as I believe it goes) has been no indication of his health. For some a low APGAR may signal challenges in the future, but it does not appear to signal them for all. Best wishes that all goes well for you and your family!

 

[isyne4u]

ahutton and I have similiar stories!! Abrupted placenta 5 weeks pre term. My ds was born not breathing (was bluish gray in color) and was without o2 for over 15 minutes while they tried to get him intubated! His first APGAR was a 1 and it didn't come up until they had given him enough o2. He was in the hospital for 7 days.

He starts kindgergarten on Tuesday and he is perfectly normal!! (okay, he takes after me so maybe not perfectly normal...but close enough!!)

I say don't worry about it or talk to your ped!!

tara

 

[christineann]

My son had an initial APGAR of 6 - the cord was wrapped around his neck 6 times, and he had all but stopped breathing. There was very real concern that he had suffered oxygen deprivation. That was 20 1/2 years ago. He has had no difficulties (take that, ex brother in law who bragged that his kid's APGAR was higher )

 

[justhat]

Madison swallowed meconium in utero too, but my dr was able to sorta stall my labor to do an amnio-infusion, where they pumped saline into my uterus to sorta 'clean it out' so that she would swallow the clean saline and hopefully get the meconium out of her lungs. She also had a partially prolapsed cord so her heartrate kept dipping with my contractions so they pulled her out with forceps. After she was born they wouldn't let her cry and carried her face down to the baby warmer and she was suctioned and tapped and all that by a team of pediatricians. It was so scary to me to not hear her cry (though they did warn me of that before she was born) and then to see so many people working on her. Well, her 5 minute APGAR was a 9.9, so none of that affected her after a few minutes. She's 18 months now and totally fine so don't worry about what her 1 minute score was.

 

[MEG&MINNIE]

My DD9 also had a very low Apgar score of 2 at birth, and being a R.N. with an OB/Gyn backround ...I was very concerned at the time. I followed her dev. milestones very closely that first year and to tell you I was a nervous wreck those first few months ,especially! She is a bright and social 4th grader now... and her "reading skills" are much better than her brothers were at the same age. Hopefully reading this will ease your concerns,and help you to sit back and enjoy your little one and not worry as much !!!

 

[mom2rb]

When my twins were born I didn't even find out the scores. I knew going in that they would be preemies and the score would be low. This thread is actually the first time I ever thought of it. They turned 7 last week and they are fine. I wouldn't worry about it. You have enough to worry about just having a baby.

 

[minkydog]

My ob-gyn told me that apgar scores only tell the doctors and nurses how much support a newborn needs (breathing, heart rate, etc.). Other than that, he said apgar scores are just something for parents to obsess about...

I think you should talk to your pediatrician so he can reassure you about your child.

Absolutely true! I have even heard parents boasting about their baby's 10/10 APGAR scores as if it was a football score. It's not a game of one-upmanship,Mommies, it's just an indicator of how a baby is doing at 1 minute and 5 minutes of age. That's all. Let me try to reassure you about those pesky APGARs.

The initial APGAR score is only important in the first minutes--They get 2 points each for muscle tone, breathing heart rate, cry, or color. There is strict criteria for assigning the points( they don't just pull a number out of the air). A score of 0-3 is very low and indicates the baby needs life support to get going,probably CPR & meds. A score of 5-7 means the baby is having some trouble in certain areas--perhaps needs some oxygen, warmth, stimulation or meds. A score of 8-9 is pretty much normal. I've never seen an infant make 10 in 1 minute. I guess it's possible, but in 28yrs i've never seen one.

The second APGAR score is taken at 5minutes. The point is to find improvement. The second score is considered to be more important, though not necessarily indicative of developmental problems. A score of 0-3 at 5 min predicts a poor outcome--the baby will need intensive care to recover and is in danger of dying. A score of 4-8 means the baby is still struggling in one or more areas and needs further treatment over a period of hours or days to recover. Many of these infants would also be kept in NICU, at least at first. A score of 9-10 at 5 minutes is totally normal. The vast majority of babies will be a 9, since their color is kind of "off" for about an hour after birth.

If it worries you a lot, ask your ped what the 1 & 5 minute APGARS were . He should have this information. I hope I've explained it in a way that you can easily understand.

Cathy