parity score
Last reviewed 04/2021
A score designed to confuse those new to obs and gynae, the parity score imparts information on the past obstetric history. It is written:
- para X + Y, where X is the number of pregnancies producing live births and Y is the number of losses before 24 weeks (such as terminations, spontaneous abortions, ectopic pregnancies or moles).
Thus: twins count as 1 X, a live birth at any time counts as 1 X, and a stillbirth after 24 weeks counts as 1 X, an abortion before 24 weeks counts as 1 Y.
The gravida number is best described as the total number of pregnancies, including the present one.