The pain of losing a child during pregnancy is something which we do not always feel comfortable talking about. Every family and individual which has had to experience such trauma deals with the loss of a baby in their own way.
In the House of Commons, I have had the privilege of speaking about the loss of my son, Ethan, to stillbirth in 2004. It is essential for Government and Parliament to address painful but important issues such as this.
It is with this thought in mind that I welcome confirmation from the Department of Health & Social Care that parents who have experienced the devastation of losing a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy are now able to apply for a certificate to have their grief recognised.
Such certificates are, of course, not compulsory. It is the choice of all parents to manage the difficult time of a loss however they see fit.
It is right that the state acts to ensure bereaved parents feel supported through their grief and recognises their loss, acknowledging their pain and ensuring they feel heard.
The certificate is available for either parent to access following a loss under 24 weeks since 1st September 2018. It is right that such claims can be made retrospectively, and I appreciate assurances to Parliament from the Minister for the Women’s Health Strategy that the Department of Health & Social Care will look to expand eligibility for certificates pre-dating September 2018 as soon as it can.
The certificate is an official but not legal document, and applicants must be at least 16 years of age and have been living in England at the time of the loss.
Certificates can now be requested from the Government website: www.gov.uk/request-baby-loss-certificate, with further information available via email: [email protected] or by calling: 0300 330 9445.
Ensuring baby loss certificates are now a reality for parents comes in response to the independent Pregnancy Loss Review, which was commissioned in 2018 to consider registration and certification of pregnancy loss occurring before 24 weeks gestation as well as the quality of care provided.
While the Review concluded it currently may not be possible to prevent many pre-24 week pregnancy losses from occurring, we know that more can be done to ensure grieving parents receive the care and support they need.
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.
In particular through the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss this is an area which our legislature must continue to support.
Henry Smith MP
