One way in which a newborn infant's state of being is measured or assessed at birth is through the use of the Apgar Assessment. The Apgar assessment was first used in 1953, and continues to be one of the most simple, accurate, and appealing assessments of a newborn's well-being today.

The Apgar measures areas of:

Each of these areas is assigned a score of 0, 1, or 2. The test is given at the moment the infant is born, again at five minutes, and sometimes 10 minutes after delivery. The composite, or total score, portrays the infant's ability to adapt to the immediate postnatal environment.

The correlation of the Apgar score with later neurological or physiological problems continues to be debated. Although there is correlation between low Apgar scores and later problems, there are sufficient enough cases of infants scoring low on the Apgar that appear to have no problems in later life, and children who scored high, having problems.

 About the Author: Dr. Catherine Swanson Cain, PhD, LMFT provides counseling and therapy to families of young children with behavior problems or mental health disabilities. She also provides consultation and training to educators, child care providers, and professionals on a variety of behavioral health issues.