What is indicated by an Apgar score of 4-6 at 5 minutes?

An Apgar score of 4-6 at 5 minutes indicates moderate difficulty in the newborn's adaptation to extrauterine life. The Apgar score assesses five criteria: appearance (skin color), pulse (heart rate), grimace response (reflexes), activity (muscle tone), and respiration (breathing effort) at one and five minutes after birth. Each criterion is scored from 0 to 2, yielding a total score between 0 and 10.

A score within the range of 4-6 suggests that the infant is experiencing some challenges, but it is not at the level of severe distress, which would be indicated by a lower score. The moderate difficulty signals that the newborn may require additional monitoring and possibly some interventions to support their transition to life outside the womb, but it does not imply that the newborn is in critical condition. Scores lower than 4 represent severe distress, while scores above 7 generally reflect good adjustment and normal adaptation. Thus, the given score of 4-6 appropriately reflects a situation of moderate difficulty in adjustment.