You have just delivered a baby boy. His body is pink, but his hands and feet are blue. His heart rate is approximately 110 beats/min and his respirations are rapid and irregular. He has a weak cry when stimulated and resists attempts to straighten his legs. His Apgar score is: Select one: a. 7 b. 6 c. 8 d. 9

The Apgar score of the baby will be 8.

Explanation:

The Apgar score is defined based on the physical conditions of a newborn infant.

The five basic parameters that are checked in a newborn baby just right after birth are Appearance (skin color), Pulse (heart rate), Grimace responses (reflexes), Activity (muscle tone), and Respiration (rate and effort). Each parameter is scored as 0, 1, or 2 based on the observations of the infant within a few minutes of birth.

These scores are totaled and compared on the Apgar scale ranging from 1 to 10.

In the given case, the infant

Appearance: Pink body and blue extremities - 2

Pulse: above 100 - 2

Grimace: Cries when stimulated - 2

Activity: flexed limbs and resists extension - 1

Respiration: irregular, rapid, crying - 1

Based on the individual scores and their total, the infant scores 8 on the Apgar scorecard. The condition is called acrocyanosis leading to slight cyanosis or blueness of extremities, impaired oxygenation, slow limb movements are considered normal due to immature systems of the new born which are in a fluxed state and will develop as the baby grows.