When a child is still-born it is necessary to register the still-birth in the district in which it occurred. Although this may be arranged through any register office in England or Wales, it needs to be done within 42 days, and may not be done more than three months after the still-birth occurred.
A still-born 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.
If you have suffered a still-born bereavement, whether you are a parent or other family member, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (SANDS) can offer a range of support services so you can choose what is right for you.
A medical certificate of still-birth will be issued by the doctor or midwife who examined the body or who were present at the birth. This certificate is necessary to register the still-birth at the Salford register office. An appointment only system is in operation, so please telephone 0161 793 2500 to make an appointment to see the registrar.
The information, is recorded in the still-birth register and the person registering the still-birth signs the record.
Registration can sometimes be carried out at the hospital before the mother leaves, instead of at the register office.
If it is inconvenient to go to the district where the still-birth took place, the information for the registration may be given to a registrar in another district. The registrar will record the details on a form of declaration and send it to the registrar for the district where the still-birth occurred. The registrar who receives the declaration will enter the information in the still-birth register.
Certificates of the still-birth, which may be ordered and paid for at the time of making the declaration, as well as the document for the burial or cremation, will be posted by the registrar for the district where the still-birth took place. If a declaration is made, it may take a day or two longer for the document for burial or cremation to be issued. The family should discuss the arrangements with their funeral director and the registrar so as to avoid any delay to the funeral.
This explains who can register a still-birth, and when information about the father may be included in the register:
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, speak to the registrar about this.
Although the majority of still-births 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 who of the following would be best able to do so:
It is most important that the information recorded in the still-birth register is correct. If any mistake is made, for example in the spelling of a name or last name or in the description of the father's or mother's occupation, it will give the parents or the person who registered the still-birth some difficulty in having it put right. The person registering the still-birth should check the information to be recorded in the register very carefully before the entry is signed.
If English is not the mother's or father's first language and help is needed with registering the still-birth, it would be helpful for a relative or friend to accompany them to the registrar's office and act as interpreter. However, the parents must register the still-birth personally as a relative or friend cannot register instead of them.
Further advice about registering a still-birth in Salford may be obtained from Salford register office.