Interviewer instructions
Write the month and year of each birth.
Probe: “What is his/her birthday?” if necessary. If the respondent gives you a year of birth but does not know the month of birth, probe to estimate the month. For example, if she says her daughter was born in 1997, but she doesn't know which month, ask her whether she gave birth in the dry or wet season, whether she remembers if she was pregnant at Christmas or Easter time, during the month of Ramadan, or during some other significant event/season of the year to try to determine the month of birth. Convert months to numbers, as usual. If you cannot even estimate a month, write '98' for month.
If the respondent cannot recall the year when the birth occurred, you need to probe carefully. Check the documents collected at the beginning of the interview, such as the birth certificate or immunization record, to see whether a date of birth was recorded. Before entering a date from these documents, check with the respondent to determine whether she believes the date is accurate. If there is no birth certificate or other document for the child, see whether the respondent knows a firm birth date for any other child in the household and relate it to that. For example, if she knows the second child was born in 1994 and the first child was just a year old at that time, enter '1993.' You must enter a year for all children, even if it is just your best estimate. Leaving this area blank is not acceptable. If you leave this area blank, you will be asked by your field editor or supervisor to go back to the household and ask the question again to the respondent.
