New certificate honours loss of pre-24-week babies

As reported by BBC News, bereaved parents in England who experience miscarriage can now receive official recognition of their loss with new certificates, following advocacy efforts and government response

Campaigners said they were “thrilled” that millions of families would finally get the formal acknowledgement that their baby existed.

All parents who have experienced baby loss since September 2018 can apply.

They should visit the gov.uk website – applicants must be at least 16 years old, have been living in England at the time of the loss and be one of the baby’s parents or surrogate.

In Wales, there are plans to deliver a similar scheme. A memorial book where people can record their pre-24 week losses is already up and running in Scotland.

Babies who are born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy are called stillbirths, and their deaths are officially registered. But this does not happen for babies who die before that stage.

Pregnancy loss or miscarriage before 24 weeks is the most common complication of pregnancy, experienced by an estimated one in five women in the UK.

A recent independent review looked at ways to improve NHS care and support for parents experiencing losses before 24 weeks of pregnancy – and it came up with 73 recommendations on how to make positive changes.

Every year there are thought to be a quarter of a million miscarriages and more than 11,000 hospital admissions for losses because of ectopic pregnancies.

Statistics also show that in 2021, 3,300 women had to terminate a wanted pregnancy for medical reasons.

In response, the government decided that issuing certificates of baby loss on a voluntary basis should be a priority in England.

The announcement has been praised by Zoe Clark-Coates, who campaigned for nine years for the certificates and runs the pregnancy loss support charity The Mariposa Trust.

She thanked “the tens of thousands of bereaved parents who have asked for this, and supported our work to see these introduced”.

Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for England, said she was pleased that women “will now be able to access a baby loss certificate which recognises the impact and importance of early pregnancy loss to them and their families”.

By next month, bereavement services will be available in almost every NHS trust in England, seven days a week, she added.

The Miscarriage Association said it looked forward to the baby loss certificate scheme being extended to losses prior to September 2018 as soon as possible.

“For many, if not most people, even the earliest of losses can be deeply distressing, both emotionally and physically,” said Ruth Bender Atik, national director of the association.

“The new certification scheme will make a genuinely positive difference to many who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss, offering formal recognition of the tiniest of lives.”

Maria Caulfield, minister for women’s health, said the introduction of baby loss certificates was part of a wider, long-term plan for women’s health in our country, the Women’s Health Strategy.

“I would like to thank the tireless work of campaigners and charities in supporting this agenda and making the certificates a reality,” she said.