Registering a stillbirth
It is a time of great sadness when parents and
families experience a stillbirth. Registration is a legal process
so it is important you understand what is required. You must
register the stillbirth personally and cannot ask a relative or
friend to attend instead.
If you have any difficulties with English
please let us know so we can arrange an interpreter for you. If you
know someone who is willing to interpret for you please bring them
with you.
When to register a stillbirth
A stillborn child is legally defined as a
child born after the 24th week of pregnancy who did not at any time
after being born breathe or show any other signs of life. A child
who breathed or showed other signs of life is considered live-born
for registration
purposes irrespective of the number of weeks duration of the
pregnancy.
Every stillbirth in England and Wales must be
registered in the district where it took place and normally within
42 days. A stillbirth may not be registered more than three months
after it occurred.
Where can you register a
stillbirth?
You should register the stillbirth in the
registration district where it took place. If you have any queries
please contact the Register Office.
The family should discuss the arrangements
with their funeral director and the registrar to avoid any delays
to the funeral.
Fees
A full certificate showing the parents details
can be purchased at this time for a fee of £3.50 and ordered at the
time of declaration. A short birth certificate is given
to the parents at the time of declaration free of charge.
Who can register a stillbirth
The following people can register a
stillbirth:
(i) Married parents
If the parents of the child were married to
each other at the time of the stillbirth, or at the time of the
conception, either the mother or the father may register with the
registrar.
(ii) Unmarried parents
If the parents were not married to each other
at the time of the stillbirth, or at the time of the conception,
information about the father may only be entered in the register in
the following circumstances:
- The mother and father go to the register office and sign the
stillbirth register together
- If the father is unable to go to the register office with the
mother then the father may make a statutory declaration
acknowledging his paternity which the mother must give to the
registrar. This form may be obtained from any register office in
England or Wales.
- If the mother is unable to go to the register office with the
father then the mother may make a statutory declaration
acknowledging the father's paternity which the father must give to
the registrar. This form may be obtained from any registrar in
England or Wales.
If information about the father is not
recorded, it may be possible for the birth to be re-registered to
include his details at a later date.
(iii)Can the baby's father register the stillbirth on his
own?
He can if he was married to the mother at the
time. If the couple were not married he cannot register on his own
and we cannot enter the father’s details if he does not attend with
the mother.
(iv) Other
Although the majority of stillbirths are
registered by the parents, sometimes neither the mother or the
father are able to do this. In these circumstances, the registrar
will arrange for the registration to be completed by one of the
following people depending on who is best able to do this:
- the occupier of the house or hospital where the child was
stillborn
- a person who was present at the stillbirth
- a person who is responsible for the stillborn child
- the person who found the stillborn child, if the date and place
of the stillbirth are unknown.
What information do
I have to supply for the registration?
To register you will need the medical
certificate of stillbirth from the hospital, your doctor or
midwife. You will also be asked for the following information:
Baby
- Date and place of your baby’s stillbirth
- Sex of the baby
- Forename(s) and surname if you wish to name the child
Father (if his details are to be entered)
- Forenames and surname
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation at the time of the birth, or details of last
occupation
Mother
- Forename(s) and surname
- Maiden name if married or previously married
- Date and place of birth
- Usual home address at the time of the stillbirth
- Occupation or details of last occupation
- Date of marriage to the father if married at the time
- Number of previous children
It is extremely important that the information
recorded in the stillbirth register is correct. The person
registering the stillbirth should check the information that is
being recorded in the register very carefully before the entry is
signed because mistakes in the register are difficult to
correct.
Certificates issued
(i) Certificate of registration
A certificate of registration will be issued
free of charge to the person who registers the stillbirth. This
certificate provides proof that the stillbirth has been registered.
Any names given to the stillborn child and entered in the register
will be recorded on the certificate of registration.
(ii) Stillbirth certificate
After a stillbirth has been registered, one or
more certificates may be bought at the time of registration or at
any time afterwards by the mother or the father, provided that the
father's details are also recorded in the register. Applications
for certificates from someone who is not the mother or father
should be sent to the general register office stating the full
details of the purpose for which the certificate is required. The
contact details for the general register office can be found
below.
(iii) Certificate for burial or cremation
The registrar will also issue a certificate
for the burial or cremation of the stillborn child on an official
burial or cremation site. The certificate is normally passed to the
funeral director who is making the arrangements. A funeral cannot
take place until this certificate has been given to the burial
authority or the crematorium. If there is a delay in the
registration, it is possible to obtain a certificate for the burial
before the stillbirth has been registered provided it does not need
to be reported to the coroner. A certificate for cremation however
cannot be issued before the stillbirth has been registered.
Fees:
For full birth certificates, with the parents
details, the fee will be £3.50 per certificate at the time of
declaration. At the time of registration, a short birth
certificate will be given to the parents free of charge after which
it will cost £3.50 per certificate.
Contact
For further information, please contact the
Tower Hamlets Register Office or the General Register Office:
Tower Hamlets Register Office
Bromley Public Hall
Bow Road
London E3 3AA
Tel: 020 7364 7880
Fax: 020 7364 7885
Email: register.office@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
and Friday, 9.30am to 4.30pm. Wednesday 9.30-11.30am
and 2-4.30pm.
We do not operate an appointment system so you can attend this
office anytime during the opening
hours.
For free translation of this information phone:
Newham translation service: 020 8430 6921
Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm
Related Services
Birth registering