Health and Research
4th November 2024
All parents in England who have lost a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy will now be able to apply for a Certificate of Loss for their baby.
Until recently, parents who have experienced a loss in the early weeks of pregnancy have not had any official documentation to recognise this.
In the 2023 Pregnancy Loss Review, bereaved parents shared how painful this lack of recognition was. As a result of the review, certificates of baby loss were launched in February 2024. At the beginning, the certificates were only made available to parents who lost their baby going forwards and parents whose pregnancy ended before 1st September 2018. The service's reach was limited to ensure they had the capacity to meet demand.
Today, to mark the start of Baby Loss Awareness Week 2024, the government extended the service to have no backdate. Certificates are now available for all past losses before 24 weeks (or before 28 weeks if the pregnancy ended before 1 October 1992). Anyone who has experienced loss in early pregnancy in England, whether through miscarriage, ectopic or molar pregnancy, or termination for medical reasons, can apply for a free certificate via the Government website here.
The early launch made a difference for many bereaved parents, including Shine members. We welcome the extension of these certificates, which will allow many more people to mark their loss, whenever they happened and however they were impacted by it. We remain hopeful that similar offers will be introduced in Wales and Northern Ireland soon.