Interviewer instructions
D. Only for women 12 years of age and older
Questions 20 to 23 should only be asked of women 12 years of age and older, including unmarried women. These questions are not asked when the person being enumerated is a man. Instead cross out part D of the Form with a diagonal line.
These questions are of great importance for the demographic analysis. Take special care to ask them verbatim without excluding unmarried women.
Question 20. In total, how many sons and daughters born alive have you had?
The total number of sons and daughters born alive that the mother has had is asked for, whether they are alive on the date of the Census or have died, live with her or in another domicile, place, or country.
It's very important to keep in mind that if the answer is "none" you should record 00. If the box remains empty it will mean that the question was not asked, in other words, that there was an omission.
[p. 50]
Born alive is any child who, upon being born, manifests any sign of life such as breathing, crying, or moving. If the child later passes away, it should still be considered a child born alive.
As already indicated before, it's important that this question and the following ones be answered by the person being enumerated themselves.