In the infant Glasgow Coma Scale, what is the Verbal Response score of 5?

• A. Coos or babbles
• B. Irritable cry (consolable)
• C. Inconsolable crying
• D. Moans or grunts

Answer: (A)

Verbal response in the infant Glasgow Coma Scale uses age-appropriate vocalizations. The best vocalization an infant can reliably produce is coos or babbles, which represents the highest verbal score on this scale. That’s why this option is correct. The other options describe progressively less organized or more distressed vocalizations: an irritable cry that can be consoled is lower, inconsolable crying is lower still, and moans or grunts are even lower. So coos or babbles corresponds to the top verbal response level for infants.