Definition of Para

Para: Any woman who has given birth once or more is termed a "para."

Note that, for a pregnancy to count as a "birth," it must go to at least 20 weeks' gestation (the mid-point of a full-term pregnancy) or yield an infant that weighs at least 500 grams, irrespective of whether the infant is live born or not.

A woman who is para I (a primipara) has given birth once; a woman who is para II has given birth twice; and so on.

The term "para" comes from the Latin "pario," to bring forth or bear.