Questionnaire Text

Questionnaire form view entire document:  text  image
[Questions 1-7 were asked of females age 15 and older]

Fertility information

Number of children born (give number in two digits, like: 01, 02... 10, 11, etc. If none, write 00)

5. How many children have been born alive to the woman?

_ _ Male
_ _ Female
Questionnaire instructions view entire document:  text  image
87. Column 5, 6, 7: number of children born.

The questions in these columns have been designed in such a way as to elicit the vital information we require without embarrassing the respondents. We have to find out the total number of children born to a woman, number of children living and number of children dead among them. Please remember that the nature of responses you will obtain will depend, to a great extent, on how tactfully you put these questions. Great care must be taken to choose words which, while retaining the exact meaning of the questions will not give rise to any emotional feelings. Finally, please note that the word "children" in the questions refer to the woman's own offspring of whatever age and sex and not the children of a brother, sister or husband or other relative or non-relative or adopted ones who may be living with her. You should also note that some of the respondents may be old and their memory weak. You should, therefore, exercise patience and help them to recollect the correct number of children born to them. If no child is reported for any of the questions, write 00 in the column concerned.

Note: it is common experience that the birth of child may not be reported readily if the child is not actually surviving at the time of enumeration. Infant deaths are still high in the country. There is a chance of a number of such cases being missed unless specifically questioned about. It is necessary to record all live births even if the child has died soon thereafter or had not survived to the day of enumeration. Where a woman first answers that no child was ever born to her, you may perhaps question as follows: "It has been found in some houses that a child was born and had died soon after or a few days or month later and such cases had not been reported. It is my hope that there are no such cases here. Am I right?" This may bring in the required response. If she reports 'No' then you can be sure that no birth has been missed.

88. Columns 5: (a) and (b): how many children have been born alive to you? (separately by males in column (a) and females in column (b))

Record the number of children born alive to the respondent in the space provided, for male children in column (a) and for female children in column (b).Give the number in two digits as instructed at the heading of this column. When administering the question care must be taken to ensure that only the number of children born alive to a respondent is recorded. When a child is not born alive it is called a still birth and it should not be included while furnishing information in columns 5(a) or (b).

88.1 It is therefore necessary for you to know the meaning of live birth (or children born alive). It is as follows:

[p. 39]

Live birth is the complete expulsion (delivery) or extraction from its mother of a product of conception (baby), irrespective of the duration of pregnancy. The baby after such separation, breathes or shows other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached. Each product of such delivery is considered as alive-birth. To put it in simple terms, a live birth is one in which the baby has cried.