Definition
MATERNITYIDX (V418) reports the number of entries in the pregnancy and postnatal care history for a female respondent. This number is typically equal to the number of births in the three (BIRTHSTOT3YR (V238)) or five (BIRTHSIN5YRS (V208) years before the survey. While there is, theoretically, no limit to the number of births recorded in BIRTHSTOT3YR and BIRTHSIN5YRS, MATERNITYIDX is actually limited to the number of columns that can be completed on the survey form. In most cases, MATERNITYIDX is capped at six.