Registering Your Baby’s Death - Neonatal Death

Neonatal death, a live born baby who died before the 28th day of life

If your baby was born and showed signs of life but died before the 28th day of life the Bereavement Office will ensure that a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death is issued by the hospital doctor and is taken to the Registrar’s Office on your behalf. The Registrar will then contact you to make an appointment for you to register your baby’s death. They will ask you if you wish to register the birth at the same appointment, most parents will choose to do so, however you have 42 days in which to register the birth.

When you attend your appointment at the Registry Office the Registrar will give you a short Birth Certificate. This simply confirms that the birth has been registered – there is no charge. If you want a full Certificate of Birth, which is a certified copy of the complete entry in the register with names and other details, there will be a small fee for this. A small charge is made by the Registrar’s Office for the Death Certificates.

The Registrar will also give you a green form to permit burial or cremation. You should give this to the funeral director.

The Registrar will also give you a white form to permit burial or cremation. You should give this to the funeral director.

If you have not yet chosen a name for your baby but wish to add one after registration, this will be possible but please keep in mind that the name you choose to add will be entered into section 17 of the Certificate of Stillbirth and not in to the ‘Forename’ section. You will need to make an appointment with the Registry Office to make any additions to the certificate and there may be a charge for this.

The Registrar’s Office can be contacted on 0345 155 1002.

Please Note: For unmarried couples, the mother needs to register the stillbirth herself. If another parent’s details are to be recorded on the certificate they must be present at this time. Further information is available on the GOV.UK website www.gov.uk/register-stillbirth