Stillbirth
What documents do I need?
All you need to take is the medical certificate of stillbirth
issued by the doctor or midwife present at the time of the
stillbirth.
What information will I need to supply?
A registrar will ask for the following information:
Child
- Date and place of stillbirth
- Forename(s) and surname, if the parents wish to name the
stillborn child
- Sex of the child
Father (where his information is to be entered
in the register)
- Forename(s) and surname
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation at the time of the stillbirth or, if not employed at
that time, the last occupation
Mother
- Forename(s) and surname
- Maiden surname if the mother is, or has been, married
- Date and place of birth
- Occupation at the time of the stillbirth or, if not employed at
that time, the last occupation
- Usual address at the date of the stillbirth
- Date of marriage, if married to the stillborn child's father at
the time of the stillbirth
- Number of previous children by the present husband and by any
former husband
It is vital that all the information recorded in the stillbirth
register is completely correct as mistakes can take quite a bit of
time and trouble to put right. This is why the person registering
the stillbirth should check the information very carefully before
signing the entry.
What if I make a mistake in the register entry?
The register is a Legal Document it is therefore vital that the
information recorded in the register is correct. If any mistakes
are made it will put you to some inconvenience to have it
corrected. You should therefore, check the information recorded in
the register very carefully before you sign. If at any time you
discover an error has been made in an entry, you should contact us
as soon as possible.
Warning: Any person who knowingly and wilfully
GIVES FALSE INFORMATION to a registrar for insertion in a
Stillbirth Register, or MAKES A FALSE DECLARATION for the purposes
of the registration of a Stillbirth is LIABLE TO PROSECUTION FOR
PERJURY.
What documents will the registrar issue?
Once the registration has been completed, in most cases, you
will be issued with the following documents:
- 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.
- A Green Form (Form 9W) – a certificate for burial or cremation,
which is normally passed to the funeral director, who cannot
proceed with the funeral without it. If there is a delay to the
registration, it is possible for a certificate for the burial (in a
burial ground) to be issued before registration provided the
stillbirth does not need to be reported to the coroner. A
certificate for cremation cannot be issued before the
registration.
The above paperwork is the only paperwork issued free of
charge.
The 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. (The father's details would need to be
recorded in the register entry for him to be able to obtain a
certificate). Any application for a certificate from someone who is
not the mother or father should be sent to the General Register
Office, Anniversary Section, PO Box 2, Southport, PR8 2JD, giving
full details of the purpose for which the certificate is
required.
What are the costs?
The cost per Stillbirth Certificate at the time of registration
is £3.50.
We can accept payment by cash, cheque or postal order but not
debit/credit cards. Please make cheques payable to “The
Superintendent Registrar”.
Certificate fees are set by Statute and reviewed annually.
What is a certified copy?
A certified copy (Birth, Death, Stillbirth or Marriage
Certificate) is an exact copy of a register entry. Certified copies
are issued by the registrar and should be used for all legal and
evidential purposes. Certificates are printed on watermarked paper
and are subject to © Crown Copyright.
Can I register a stillbirth bi-lingually?
If you would like to have the stillbirth registered in both
English and Welsh, please discuss this with the registrar when you
telephone to book an appointment. Please note bi-lingual
registrations are not available in England.
What do I do if I don’t speak English very well?
If English is not your first language and you would like someone
to help you with the registration, please ask a relative or friend
to accompany you to the Register Office. Please remember you must
register the stillbirth personally. You cannot ask a relative or
friend to attend instead of you.
Although the majority of stillbirths are registered by parents,
in exceptional circumstances the registration may be undertaken by
someone else. Please contact your local Register Office to
discuss.
What should I do, if I require special assistance?
If you require any assistance when registering, then please
discuss your needs with the registrar when you make an
appointment.
Funeral Arrangements
The hospital may offer to arrange a burial or cremation, free of
charge, for every stillborn baby, whether born in hospital or at
home. You should discuss the funeral arrangements with the hospital
staff or midwife. If you accept the offer, the baby will be
cremated or buried after a simple ceremony. The parents can, if
they wish, arrange the funeral themselves.
Maternity Benefits
If your baby was stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy you may
still be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity
Allowance. Further information is available on the DWP website at:
www.dwp.gov.uk
Further Information
If you would like further information/advice regarding
registering a birth please contact your local Register Office where
staff will be happy to advise you. Alternatively you can visit the
General Register Office’s website at: www.gro.gov.uk.
You can register a stillbirth within the Vale of Glamorgan at
any Register
Office