ABSTRACT
The first breath an infant takes is, unsurprisingly, of enormous importance. This breath converts the lungs from a collapsed, fluid-filled state to an expanded air-filled system capable of gas exchange. The infant creates a large negative pressure during this first breath in order to drag air into the lungs. The baby needs to be in good condition after the several hours of the birth process in order to establish an independent life. If the infant is not in sufficiently good condition to survive without intervention, we need to be able to assess the infant in order to institute appropriate resuscitation measures.
