Literal question
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 ___
Interviewer instructions
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 P26: Children Dead
Ask, "How many are dead?"
182. Write the number of dead children. In case none of her children has died, write code "00"
183. Remember to include those children who died immediately after being born. Always try to be very careful when collecting such information. Use the same format as used in Question P23.
184. Be sympathetic to her but remind her that the information is useful
185. Check questions P23 to P26 for consistency. P23 = P24 + P25 + P26. This is true for either sex. If this equation does not balance, probe to ensure that it balances before you proceed to the next question.
