The first test most babies are given — and which most pass with good scores — is the Apgar test. It was developed in 1952 by Dr. Virginia Apgar, who wanted a quick, simple way to check how newborns ...

In the second century AD, Soranus of Ephesus described a method of assessing the health status of newborns that very much resembles today's Apgar score. Soranus studied in Alexandria and eventually ...