Die Apgar-telling as geboorte-indeks

One of the most important adaptations which the newborn is required to make is the change-over to using his own respiratory organs for oxygen supply. The Abgar-count is an oxygenation-parameter which is used routinely throughout the world to evaluate the condition of the newborn. Besides immediate diagnosis of respiratory distress accurate evaluation is also important for researchers looking for explanations of problems in the child’s later development. The author undertook an investigation to compare Abgar scores given at a local hospital with those obtained in hospitals overseas. From the results it is clear that there are differences in the application and interpretation of the measurement in various hospitals. If measurements are inaccurate they cannot be applied when researching causes of human disturbances