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The Daily Insight

What does Para mean in pregnancy?

Author

Sarah Oconnor

Updated on February 26, 2026

Gravida is the number of pregnancies a woman has had. A multiple gestation counts as a single pregnancy. Para is the number of completed pregnancies beyond 20 weeks gestation (whether viable or nonviable).

What is para in nursing?

Para refers to the total number of pregnancies that a woman has carried past 20 weeks of pregnancy. This number includes both live births and pregnancy losses after 20 weeks, such as stillbirths.

What is para in medicine?

Para- (prefix): A prefix with many meanings, including: alongside of, beside, near, resembling, beyond, apart from, and abnormal. For example, the parathyroid glands are called “para-thyroid” because they are adjacent to the thyroid. The prefix “para-” comes straight from the Greek.

What does para1 mean?

Para OR Parity is the number of completed pregnancies beyond 20 weeks gestation (whether viable or nonviable). The number of fetuses delivered does not determine the parity. A woman who has been pregnant once and delivered twins after 20 weeks would be noted to be a Gravid 1 Para 1.

What does the word para mean in pregnancy?

[par´ah] (L.) a woman who has produced one or more viable offspring. Used with numerals to designate the number of pregnancies that have resulted in the birth of viable offspring, as para 0 (none—nullipara), para I (one—unipara), para II (two—bipara), para III (three—tripara), para IV (four—quadripara).

What is the difference between a gravida and a para?

A more detailed explanation of the rules and finer points courtesy of Wikipe dia: Gravida indicates the number of times the mother has been pregnant, regardless of whether these pregnancies were carried to term. A current pregnancy, if any, is included in this count. Para indicates the number of viable (>20 wks) births.

What is the difference between “Para” and “abortus”?

Para indicates the number of viable (>20 wks) births. Pregnancies consisting of multiples, such as twins or triplets, count as ONE birth for the purpose of this notation. Abortus is the number of pregnancies that were lost for any reason, including induced abortions or miscarriages.

What is the meaning of para 1?

(par´ah) a woman who has produced one or more viable offspring, regardless of whether the child or children were living at birth. Used with Roman numerals to designate the number of such pregnancies, as para 0 (none—nullipara), para I (one—primipara), para II (two—secundipara), etc.