For women aged twelve (12) to fifty four (54) years
For all children ever born
P23 How many children has name borne? (Write number, if none, write "00") male ___ female ___
P24 How many are living in this household? (Write number, if none, write "00") male ___ female ___
P25 How many are alive, but living elsewhere? (Write number, if none, write "00") male ___ female ___
P26 How many are dead? (Write number, if none, write "00") male ___ female ___
Child Birth History
170. Questions P23 to P30, apply to All Women Aged 12 - 54 Years.
171. An answer is required of all women in this age category irrespective of whether or not they are married, whether or not they are still attending school, and whether or not they may have produced children.
172. If the person is male or is a girl aged 0-11 years, or a woman aged 55 years or more write "N/A" for Question P23 and leave the rest of the column blank.
173. We are concerned with the number of children a woman has borne alive. A child born alive is one who cries after being born, breathes or shows any evidence of life such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles. Do not include stillbirths - that is children who are delivered when they were already dead.
174. Remember to use a two-digit code for all the questions in this section except P28 and P29 which require a one-digit code.
175. It is important that you speak to the woman herself. Some women may not be willing to give information about the exact numbers of children they have produced, if they know that some of them do not belong to their current husband and they are living somewhere else. The female herself will know about the children she has borne and will be able to answer the question more accurately than anyone else.
176. Ask questions P23 - P26 separately for male and female children.
Question P23: Children Ever Born
Ask, "How many children has (name) borne alive?"
177. Record the number of children in question 23. For example if she has given birth to 4 children (a boy and 3 girls), write 01 in the male's part and 03 in the female's part of column. If the woman has never borne any children alive, write "00" in both parts of the column but continue to ask the other questions in this section.
178. Remember to include children who have grown up and left home, children born by the woman to other men as well as her present husband, her children who are living away from home and children who have died even if they died shortly after birth. Be careful to include young babies but exclude stillbirths. Do not include adopted children or step children or children who live with the Household but were not borne by the woman herself.
179. Do not record the answer "none" before probing to be sure that she has never given birth at all.