The manner for registering a still-birth combines features of both birth and death registration. Evidence of the still-birth must be produced before it can be registered, this can take the form of a medical certificate of cause of still-birth signed by a doctor or midwife who was present or who examined the still-born child.
A still-birth should be registered within 42 days.
A still-birth may be registered by giving the information to the registrar of the area where it took place or by making a declaration to a registrar in a different registration district who will forward the necessary documentation to the registrar for the area where the still-birth occurred for recording in a still-birth register. There is no fee for registering a still-birth.
The registration of a still-birth forms part of the grieving process for many parents and is an essential element in the protection of human life; it also provides vital information for the purpose of medical research.
