Register a stillbirth
If your baby was born after the 24th week of pregnancy but did not breathe or show any signs of life, you will need to register a stillbirth.
This gives parents an opportunity to have their child officially acknowledged and have their name recorded.
When to register a stillbirth
A stillbirth must be registered before you can have a burial or cremation for your baby.
If your baby was born before 24 weeks and showed no signs of life, this is legally classed as a miscarriage, and you do not need to register it. Instead you can apply for a baby loss certificate.
If your baby showed signs of life after birth and then died you will need to register this as a birth and death. Once the Medical Examiner has confirmed the death is ready to be registered, you must book an appointment to register the death within 5 days. This is a legal requirement.
Who can register a stillbirth
If you’re married, either parent can register. Your appointment will last approximately 30 minutes.
If you’re not married, both the mother and father should attend.
If this is not possible, call us on 0345 603 7632 and we can talk through your options.
What you need to register a stillbirth
For the appointment we need a valid medical certificate of stillbirth. The hospital will send this to us electronically.
After the appointment, you will be given:
- one stillbirth certificate
- a certificate for burial or cremation (‘white form’)
There is no fee for registering a stillbirth.
Support
You can get help and advice about stillbirths and baby loss from charities like Sands and Tommy's.