Question about Gravida and Para??

This debate has been going on for many years! When I was in school in the 70's, we were taught that a birth, regardless of whether a singleton or multiple, is one parity. So in this case she would be G3, P2.

Others will disagree, but that's how I still do it.

The correct answer is Gravida 3, Para 2.

Para = a delivery past 20 weeks gestation, whether of a stillbirth, viable infant, twins, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, or septuplets, etc. Multi-fetal births count as one gravida and one para. A great example is the following:

Bobbi McCaughey has eight living children who are the product of two pregnancies. She has had no other pregnancies. The first pregnancy resulted in a term birth with a healthy baby girl. The second pregnancy resulted in the birth of viable septuplets at 30 weeks' gestation. She is Gravida 2 para 2. The parity notation for Ms. McCaughey (G/TPAL) is: Gravida 2 para 1108.

Hope this helps clear up the confusion ?

VickyRN said:

The correct answer is Gravida 3, Para 2.

Para = a delivery past 20 weeks gestation, whether of a stillbirth, viable infant, twins, triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets, or septuplets, etc. Multi-fetal births count as one gravida and one para. A great example is the following:

Bobbi McCaughey has eight living children who are the product of two pregnancies. She has had no other pregnancies. The first pregnancy resulted in a term birth with a healthy baby girl. The second pregnancy resulted in the birth of viable septuplets at 30 weeks' gestation. She is Gravida 2 para 2. The parity notation for Ms. McCaughey (G/TPAL) is: Gravida 2 para 1108.

Hope this helps clear up the confusion ?

From Wikipedia:

Gravida/para status refers to a female's obstetric history. Gravida indicates the number of pregnancies a woman has had. Para indicates the number of births of viable children. G3/P2 would indicate three pregnancies with two live births.

Would the above example be G2/P8? ~ Diane

Bobbie is still a P2 because although her last birth produced 7 babies (yikes!), it was still one birth.

If gravida always equals para why do we even list both?

How do you list how many live births the woman has had?

Our computer assessment sheet lists gravida (list a number), para (list a number), abortion (Y or N), miscarriage (Y or N). Any ideas on a more accurate form of documentation? I don't like how it is done, but don't know the best way to improve it.

MU/WVUGRADRN said:

If gravida always equals para why do we even list both?

How do you list how many live births the woman has had?

Our computer assessment sheet lists gravida (list a number), para (list a number), abortion (Y or N), miscarriage (Y or N). Any ideas on a more accurate form of documentation? I don't like how it is done, but don't know the best way to improve it.

Gravid does NOT always = para. early miscarriage is NOT counted as a para.

Suebird

MU/WVUGRADRN said:

If gravida always equals para why do we even list both?

How do you list how many live births the woman has had?

Our computer assessment sheet lists gravida (list a number), para (list a number), abortion (Y or N), miscarriage (Y or N). Any ideas on a more accurate form of documentation? I don't like how it is done, but don't know the best way to improve it.

There is another "system" in wide-spread use that expounds on the G P system by more fully explaining the P.

It goes like this: G TPAL.

G=Gravida, just like the first system.

T=Full term deliveries (meaning 37+ weeks)

P=Preterm deliveries (meaning 20-36 weeks)

A=Abortions (In the strictest definition, this refers only to spontaneous abortions or miscarriages, but some hospitals include therapeutic abortions here as well.)

L=Living children

For example, your patient is currently pregnant, and also has had a previous term delivery, a previous preterm delivery, a miscarriage at 8 weeks, and has 2 living children. She would be G4T1P1A1L2.

Jolie said:

For example, your patient is currently pregnant, and also has had a previous term delivery, a previous preterm delivery, a miscarriage at 8 weeks, and has 2 living children. She would be G4T1P1A1L2.

Oh, man! It is so getting time for me to retire.

I'm confused. Wouldn't the answer to the OP's question be Gravida 2 Para 2. Doesn't a twin pregnancy still count as only one pregancy. So the lady was pregnant twice with two deliveries.