In the long-hand format for pregnancy history, what do the four digits after P represent?

• A. Living children, term births, preterm births, and abortions
• B. Term births, preterm births, abortions, and living children
• C. Abortions, living children, term births, and preterm births
• D. Preterm births, abortions, living children, and term births

Answer: (B)

In obstetric history, the long-hand format uses a TPAL framework after parity. The four digits indicate, in order, the number of pregnancies that ended as term births, preterm births, abortions, and living children. Term births are pregnancies reaching 37 weeks or more; preterm births occur before 37 weeks; abortions refer to pregnancy losses before viability (spontaneous or induced); living children is the total number of children currently alive from those pregnancies. For example, one term birth, zero preterm births, one abortion, and two living children would be described as 1-0-1-2. Remember that a single pregnancy with twins counts as one term birth, but contributes two to the living children count.