What does a grimace score of 0 on the APGAR scale indicate?

A grimace score of 0 on the APGAR scale indicates no response to stimuli. The APGAR scale is a quick assessment tool used to evaluate the health of newborns immediately after birth, specifically looking at five criteria: appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 2, with higher scores indicating better health.

In the context of the grimace response, a score of 0 signifies that the newborn shows no reaction at all when stimulated, which may suggest a potential issue requiring further evaluation or intervention. The other possible scores—1 and 2—represent increasing levels of response, with a score of 1 indicating a weak reflex and a score of 2 indicating a strong reaction. Therefore, a grimace score of 0 clearly reflects an absence of any response, highlighting that the newborn is not reacting to stimuli as expected.