an evaluation of newborn infants on five factors: skin color, heart rate, respiratory effort, reflexes, and muscle tone. The evaluation is typically performed at 1 minute and again at 5 minutes after birth to assess the physical condition of the infant and to determine quickly if he or she needs immediate medical care. Each factor is scored 0, 1, or 2, with a maximum total of 10 points. A score below 3 indicates that the infant is in severe distress; a score of 4 to 7 indicates moderate distress; and a score of 7 to 10 indicates that the infant’s condition is normal. [developed in 1952 by Virginia Apgar (1909–1974), U.S. anesthesiologist]