What is the assessment used to evaluate a newborn's health at birth?

The Apgar score is a standardized assessment tool used to evaluate a newborn's overall health immediately after birth. It measures five criteria: appearance (skin color), pulse (heart rate), grimace response (reflexes), activity (muscle tone), and respiration (breathing effort). Each criterion is scored from 0 to 2, with a total score ranging from 0 to 10.

This assessment is typically performed at one minute and five minutes after birth to determine how well the newborn tolerated the birthing process and to identify any immediate medical interventions that may be required. A higher score indicates better physiological functioning.

The other tools mentioned are not applicable in this context. The Bishop score is used to assess the readiness of the cervix for labor; the Glasgow Coma Scale is utilized to assess consciousness levels in individuals with head injuries or altered mental status; and the Denver Developmental Screening Test evaluates developmental milestones in young children, not newborns. Therefore, the Apgar score is the correct choice for assessing a newborn's health at birth.