Stillbirths

When a child is still-born, the doctor or midwife who was present at the birth or examined the body will issue a medical certificate of still-birth. The person who registers the still-birth must take this certificate to the registrar's office

Every still-birth in England or Wales must be registered in the district in which it takes place, normally within 42 days. A still-birth may not be registered more than 3 months after it occurred. Information for the registration is given to the registrar by the person registering the still-birth. The information is recorded in the still-birth register and the person registering the still-birth signs the record.

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.