Parents who have experienced the devastation of losing a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy can apply for a certificate to have their grief recognised from now.
The government has launched a voluntary scheme to allow parents to record and receive a certificate to provide recognition of their loss.
Richard Fuller MP said:
Losing a baby during pregnancy can be a hugely traumatic experience, which is why we have launched baby loss certificates for parents who have gone through a loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks. Parents can now apply for a certificate to record the loss of their baby if they choose to do so, formally recognising their experience and ensuring they feel heard as part of our commitment to make healthcare faster, simpler and fairer.
Delivering on baby loss certificates was part of the government’s response to the independent Pregnancy Loss Review. The review was commissioned in 2018 to consider the registration and certification of pregnancy loss occurring before 24 weeks gestation and on the quality of care. The Review concluded that while it currently may not be possible to prevent many pre-24-week pregnancy losses from occurring, much more can be done to ensure each grieving parent receives excellent care and compassionate support.
Improvement to maternity care and birth trauma support were announced as a priority area within the women’s health strategy for England in 2024 – a vital plan to improve the health and wellbeing of women and girls.
To ensure all women get the support they need, the government is investing £25 million in women’s health hubs. Women’s health hubs provide integrated services for women in the community, enabling easier access to essential services for menstrual health, contraception, pelvic pain, menopause care and more.
The certificate is available for either parent to access following a loss under 24 weeks since 1 September 2018. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age and have been living in England at the time of the loss. The certificate is an official but not legal document. We will look to expand eligibility for certificates pre-dating September 2018 as soon as we can. For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/request-baby-loss-certificate
