Baby loss certificate scheme passes 'difficult' milestone

More than 100,000 baby loss certificates have now been issued to parents grieving the loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy, the Government has announced.

The scheme was launched in February last year for parents in England who had experienced a loss after September 2018. In October it was extended to cover losses before that date.

Kate Davies, Associate Director of Information and Support at Tommy's, said:

"We know that baby loss certificates mean a lot to many families who have been bereaved by baby loss. 

"Since the extension of the scheme in October, we have heard from parents who've struggled - in some cases for decades - with the grief of losing a baby, but whose bereavement has never been properly acknowledged because it happened before 24 weeks of pregnancy, or because baby loss simply wasn’t talked about at that time.

"This underscores what we often hear from families - that the absence left by pregnancy or baby loss can cast a lifelong shadow.

"100,000 is a difficult milestone, as behind every one of the certificates sent out is a devastating loss. 

"However, we are so pleased that so many parents have been able to benefit from the certificates. It really shows the need for a meaningful way to commemorate these losses, and we hope parents have taken comfort from having this recognition and keepsake.

"But we also know that everyone affected by baby loss needs to understand why they lost their baby and to know that no one else will needlessly endure such a loss, that often can be prevented with the right patient care and treatment.

"We’ll continue to call for more fundamental changes to tackle the wider problem of baby loss – including a commitment from the government to improve miscarriage care,  and to gather and record UK-wide miscarriage statistics.

"We need that accurate information about how many people are affected by miscarriage and who is most at risk, so that research and support services can be directed most effectively towards preventing pregnancy loss."

Certificates are available for people who have lost a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy, or before 28 weeks if their loss happened earlier than October 1992. You can apply if you are over 16 and live in England.

People in Scotland can already apply to have their loss recorded in the Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss Prior to 24 Weeks, and receive a certificate of inclusion in the book.

We've put together some FAQs with more information on the process.