Registering a birth
Stillbirths
A stillbirth is a child who is born on or after the 24th week of pregnancy who after birth does not breathe or show any other sign of life. A death is when a person has lived, no matter how long, and subsequently dies. Therefore if a child is born alive and only lives for a matter of minutes the event must be registered as a live birth and a death.
A certified copy of the stillbirth registration can be obtained from the registrar at the time of registration on payment of the statutory fee. (Registrar will advise of current fee).
What you need to register a stillbirth
A doctor or midwife who attended the birth or who examined the body after birth is required to give a medical certificate of the cause of the stillbirth. This document needs to be taken to the Register Office of the district in which the stillbirth took place. If there is some doubt as to whether the child was born alive it may be necessary for the case to be referred to the Coroner. If this is the case you should phone the Register Office before you attend to make sure that the Coroner's report has been received. Without this report the registrar will not be able to register.
Documents you receive from the Registrar
The registrar will issue a document that allows a burial or cremation to proceed if the Coroner has not already done so. This document needs to be given to the funeral director as a stillborn baby cannot be buried or cremated before this certificate has been issued. There is no other document that you will need legally from the registrar.
Who can register a stillbirth
The mother or the father of a stillborn baby is qualified to register if they are married to each other. If the parents are not married to each other the mother can register the stillbirth on her own. However, if the parents are not married to each other the father may still be qualified to register in some other capacity and in this case you should contact the Register Office to establish in what circumstances he would be able to register the still birth.
The father's details would not be included in the registration unless he attended with the mother to sign the register jointly or he had made a statutory declaration of his parentage before a solicitor or other person able to witness an oath.
It is also possible for the mother to make a statutory declaration naming the father of the child. If the father attends with this document it is possible for him to register the birth on his own even though he is not married to the mother of the child. If the father or mother is not able to attend the Register Office there are other persons who may be qualified to register the stillbirth. You should phone the Register Office (0191 424 6350) for advice if this is the case.