- Heart rate
- Respiratory effort
- Colour (cyanosed or pink)
- Muscle tone
- Response to stimulation
Apgars are typically assessed at least at 1 and 5 minutes.
The one minute Apgar indicates whether or not the neonate requires resuscitation. (A score of 6 or less indicates this).
The five minute Apgar indicates the response to resuscitation.
If the five minute Apgar is still abnormally low, it is repeated, usually every five minutes, until it normalises (hopefully). A depressed Apgar score after five minutes indicates an increased risk of death or cerebral damage. However, it is rather inaccurate in this regard.