Understanding Low Apgar Scores After a C-Section Delivery

Question
What exactly does a low apgar score mean?  My granddaughter was delivered by c-section.  She was positioned sideways and another incision had to be made to get her out.  The placenta was torn.  She had to be ventalated and given blood.  Now she can't go home with her mother.  Her apgar score is low.  What can we expect?  

Answer
Hello Fran. Although we would like to see both Apgar scores to be high, really it is the second one that is most important. The first one is done at One minute old and the second one at five minutes old. The first one tell us about the condition of the baby immediately after birth and the second one tells us how well the baby is adapting to the outside world. The most vital issue of course is oxygen supply to the brain. All the points scored on the apgar tell us how well oxygen is being delivered to the brain. If the oxygen supply was not good then we can anticipate some brain damage. Now, this is not an exact science. Babies with very poor apgars have gone on to have perfectly normal brain function and thrived just fine. However, you will want to be watching that she meets her developmental milestones at the appropriate times and if she is slow with some, make a note of this. These milestones are things like reaching for objects, tracking with her eyes, rolling over, crawling, sitting, etc. You can get a list of these things on the web I am sure. There is every chance that her oxygen supply WAS reduced due to the complications of birth, so she may need extra help to learn the things she needs to learn. I do hope all is well however, and she may have NO residual problems. This is really no one's FAULT, just the circumstances of her position inutero and difficulty getting her delivered. Should your daughter become pregnant again, I would urge her to seek care from a midwife who will have skills to help turn such a baby into a more favorable position. All the best- Cheri.