Parents who have lost a child before the 24th week of pregnancy may now apply for a certification to officially recognise their grief for the first.
Ministers have said that the scheme is voluntary, and parents will still be able to handle their grief ‘however’ they choose.
Some parents feel ignored when their babies are born before the 24 week mark.
The new certificates are available online free of charge from 9am to any parent who has experienced a miscarriage in the first trimester since September 2018.
These documents are official, but they do not have legal status.
The government will issue certificates of voluntary baby loss to parents who have lost a pregnancy before the 24th week.
Ministers are examining plans to expand the criteria for eligibility and whether parents who have lost a child should be entitled to statutory leave.
The idea of a certificate was developed as part the Government’s response the Independent Pregnancy Loss Review.
The government states that it is “committed to making sure bereaved parents are supported in their grief, and acknowledge their loss. They also want them to feel heard and acknowledged.”
Maria Caulfield said that parents who have lost a child before the 24th week can feel a lack of recognition for their baby.
She said, “Getting an official certification means a great deal.”
Parents feel that it is important to have their baby’s birth certificate on display so that they can show family and friends. It helps them remember the baby.
We’ve had parents test the system, which is why we’ve taken longer than we’d like to launch it.
We want to make this as simple as possible for parents.
The Minister was shown the specialist bereavement room, which provides a private and comforting environment for families who are dealing with the emotional and physically challenging challenges of perinatal death.
The family of an infant who died shortly after birth donated more than PS80,000 to renovate the suite.
Midwives told Ms Caulfield that these facilities are not available in all hospitals. They suggested they be made a’standard’ for maternity units.
The Minister said that a facility such as this, which allows mums to be with their babies before leaving hospital and gives them the space and time to do so, is essential.
She said that she was looking into the idea of a statutory leave program for parents who lost their baby before 24 weeks.
Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, said that losing a child can be a traumatic experience. The introduction of certificates that formally acknowledge this loss is a step in the right direction towards providing better support to women and parents.
Kath Abrahams said that many people in the community will welcome the announcement.
The pain of losing a child before the 24 week mark is made worse by the fact that there is no formal acknowledgement of their experience.
We’re happy that these certificates are now available, as they will provide some comfort to at least some families.
Ms Abrahams, however, said that miscarriage is still a “largely hidden problem” due to the lack of commitment by the Government in gathering statistics.
She continued, ‘We believe that more needs to be done in order to record losses formally before 24 weeks.
We cannot begin to address the problem of miscarriage without a commitment from the government to collect and record UK wide statistics.
“Without data miscarriage is a hidden problem that is not prioritised despite the fact that tens and thousands of families are affected every year.”
The new scheme was launched in England today, but people in Scotland are already able to apply to have their pregnancy and baby loss recorded in the Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss Before 24 Weeks and receive a Certificate of Inclusion in the Book.
Ruth Bender Atik is the national director of the Miscarriage Association. She said that even the first loss can be emotionally and physically distressing for many people.
It means that not only is this pregnancy lost, but so are the plans, hopes and dreams they had for their new life.
“And not having a formal acknowledgement of their loss or a marker can only compound their grief.
The new certification scheme is a real positive for many women who have lost a baby or experienced perinatal loss. It offers formal recognition to the tiniest lives.
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