Thousands of grieving families affected by stillbirths during the 1980s and earlier have sought assistance in locating the final resting places of their babies. It wasn’t until the 1990s that attitudes towards handling stillbirths began to shift. Let’s delve into some essential questions regarding the current procedures for managing stillbirths compared to the past.
What exactly is a stillbirth? According to the NHS, it occurs when a baby is born deceased after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy. Prior to this time frame, it’s termed a miscarriage or late fetal loss. The causes of stillbirths can vary, including complications with the placenta, birth defects, or maternal health issues. However, in some cases, no definitive cause is identified. In 1992, the legal definition of stillbirth was altered from 28 weeks, established in 1953, to 24 weeks.
How prevalent are stillbirths? The most recent data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that in 2022, there were 2,433 stillbirths in England and Wales, representing a decrease of 164 or 6.3% from 2021 when there were 2,597. The stillbirth rate in 2022 stood at 4.0 stillbirths per 1,000 total births, a decrease from 4.1 in 2021, although higher than the rate recorded in 2019 before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic when it was 3.9.
What occurs following a stillbirth? Healthcare providers typically offer parents the opportunity to spend time with their baby before transferring the child to the mortuary. This decision is discretionary but pivotal, ensuring that parents have the choice. Parents may choose to see and hold their baby, capture photographs, or gather keepsakes like hair locks, footprints, handprints, or the birth blanket. Additionally, parents are informed that they can name the baby if they wish to do so. Regarding funeral arrangements, hospitals adhere to individual policies. Staff must complete a burial or cremation certificate and forward it to the relevant department within the NHS trust if the family opts for hospital assistance. Alternatively, if the family decides to organize the funeral themselves, they should receive the certificate to pass on to their chosen funeral director. In cases of hospital cremations, parents must specify their preference regarding the ashes.
Was this always the procedure? No, until the 1990s, many parents had minimal involvement in the aftermath of a stillbirth. Often, the baby was promptly removed from the labor ward, sometimes before the parents had a chance to see the child. Hospitals frequently arranged for the immediate burial of the baby in the nearest cemetery or incinerated the remains within the hospital, occasionally enlisting fathers to transport the baby’s body to the cemetery. Parents were often encouraged to move forward and try again. Many later discovered that their babies were buried in unmarked mass graves alongside numerous other stillborn children.
