Maternal and newborn

GTPAL

Gravida, Term, Preterm, Abortions, Living children

A five-part shorthand for obstetric history. The shorter TPAL drops the leading G, and GP is shorter still — gravida and para only.

What each letter stands for

  1. 1 Gravida — total number of pregnancies.
  2. 2 Term — births at 37 weeks or later.
  3. 3 Preterm — births before 37 weeks.
  4. 4 Abortions — pregnancies ending before viability, spontaneous or induced.
  5. 5 Living — children currently living.

How it gets tested

Calculation items are standard: a history is described and you assign the five numbers. The trap is gravida, which counts pregnancies rather than babies, so a twin pregnancy is one gravida and two living children.

Related terms

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