The health test conducted on babies minutes after they are born may help detect whether a child will have trouble in school as a teenager, a new study has claimed.
The study appears in the August issue of the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Babies who get low scores on a test of heart, lung and brain function given just a few minutes after birth may be more likely to need special education as teenagers, suggests this new study from Sweden.
Researchers looked at 877,000 Swedish children and compared their school grades and graduation rates when they were teenagers with their Apgar scores and post-birth health. The Apgar test is a 10-point scale, and much research has shown that it reliably predicts how much medical care a newborn will need.
The researchers found that there is a relationship between having an Apgar score below 7 and having cognitive deficits later in life. They say better understanding the relationship may provide insights into what early problems might cause those deficits.
The Apgar system has been used in the delivery room since it was devised by American Dr Virginia Apgar in 1952.
The test is commonly used as a basis for looking at the long-term implications of a baby's health.
This is largest ever study to look at the link between cognitive ability in teenagers and the Apgar test.
Babies who get low scores on a test of heart, lung and brain function given just a few minutes after birth may be more likely to need special education as teenagers, suggests this new study from Sweden.
Researchers looked at 877,000 Swedish children and compared their school grades and graduation rates when they were teenagers with their Apgar scores and post-birth health. The Apgar test is a 10-point scale, and much research has shown that it reliably predicts how much medical care a newborn will need.
The researchers found that there is a relationship between having an Apgar score below 7 and having cognitive deficits later in life. They say better understanding the relationship may provide insights into what early problems might cause those deficits.
The Apgar system has been used in the delivery room since it was devised by American Dr Virginia Apgar in 1952.
The test is commonly used as a basis for looking at the long-term implications of a baby's health.
This is largest ever study to look at the link between cognitive ability in teenagers and the Apgar test.
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