Baby loss certificates introduced for loss before 24 weeks

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Baby loss certificates introduced for loss before 24 weeks

22nd March 2024

Sadly, around 1 in 8 known pregnancies will end in miscarriage[i].

 

Pregnancy loss can have a profound impact on people’s mental health. Leading experts from Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research and the University of Birmingham found that miscarriage could actually quadruple the risk of suicide and double the risk of depression.[ii]

 

Their findings, along with a call for reforms around the care of those who’ve had a miscarriage, were published in a series of papers in The Lancet[iii] in April 2021. In response to these papers, we analysed the experiences of people here in Surrey and made a number of recommendations to providers in our Treatment of pregnancy loss report. Amongst these was the suggestion that all hospitals should offer commemorative certification for foetuses that are not classified as stillbirths (when a miscarriage occurs after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy they are called stillbirths and the deaths are officially registered).

In May 2021, in response to a series of papers published by The Lancet[iv] reviewing evidence on miscarriage and calling for reforms around the care of those who’ve had them, we analysed the experiences of people here in Surrey and made a number of recommendations to providers in our Treatment of pregnancy loss report. Amongst these was the suggestion that all hospitals should offer commemorative certification for foetuses that are not classified as stillbirths (when a miscarriage occurs after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy they are called stillbirths and the deaths are officially registered).

 

We therefore welcome the introduction of baby loss certificates which have now been introduced for parents who lose a baby before 24 weeks. All parents who have experienced baby loss since September 2018 can now apply by visiting the government website. There is also a useful guide on Tommy’s website.

 

We know that nothing can take away the pain of losing a child, but we hope that formal recognition of the impact of this loss early in pregnancy can bring some small comfort.

 

Our recommendations to providers are only possible thanks to the insights we receive from local people. That’s why, whatever your experience of health and social care services, we welcome your feedback. Get in touch today.

 

[i] Overview: miscarriage. NHS. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/miscarriage. Last accessed: March 2024

[ii] Devastating impact of miscarriage laid bare in new research. Tommys. Available at: Devastating impact of miscarriage laid bare in new research | Tommy’s (tommys.org). Last accessed: March 2024

[iii] Miscarriage matters, Lancet series. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/series/miscarriage. Last accessed: March 2024.

[iv] Miscarriage matters, Lancet series. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/series/miscarriage. Last accessed: March 2024.