Stillbirths Registration Act, 1994

Notification and registration of stillbirths occurring on or after commencement date.

6.—(1) The mother or the father of a stillborn child may, within forty-two days after the birth, give the registrar of the district in which the stillbirth occurred the information specified in this section (“the required particulars”) and sign the register in the presence of the registrar, and the registrar shall register the stillbirth accordingly and sign the register.

(2) The required particulars shall comprise the details indicated in the Schedule to this Act and a medical certificate signed by a registered medical practitioner, who has attended the birth or has examined the child, stating, in the opinion of the medical practitioner, the weight and gestational age of the child and naming, where applicable, the hospital in which the birth occurred or which had care of the mother following the birth.

(3) Where the registration takes place as the result of particulars provided by the mother or the father of the child, the registrar shall, within two weeks of registration, notify the hospital named in the certificate or the medical practitioner who signed it, where no hospital is named, that such registration has taken place.

(4) Where no such notification is received by the hospital or by the medical practitioner within three months of the stillbirth, it shall be the duty of the hospital (by an authorised member of its staff) or, where no hospital is involved, of the medical practitioner who attended the birth or examined the child to give to the registrar within four months of the stillbirth, the required particulars of the stillbirth and sign the register in the presence of the registrar, and the registrar shall register the stillbirth accordingly and sign the register.

(5) A medical practitioner who attends a stillbirth or examines the child shall provide the required medical certificate to the mother or the father of the stillborn child, where either parent expresses a wish to inform the registrar of a stillbirth.

(6) Where a medical certificate is provided to the mother or the father of the child and the hospital or the medical practitioner is not notified that registration has taken place as the result of information given to the registrar by the parents, a duplicate of that certificate may be used for registration purposes.

(7) If the medical practitioner is not fully satisfied that the birth was a stillbirth, the medical practitioner shall refer the matter to the coroner.

(8) If, in the course of duty, a coroner finds that a body is that of a stillborn child, the coroner shall, within one month of so finding, notify the registrar of the details, so far as the coroner can ascertain them, of the stillbirth indicated in the Schedule, and the registrar shall register the stillbirth accordingly and sign the register.

(9) Section 3 of the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1972 , shall apply to the registration of stillbirths as to registration of births and deaths.

(10) This section applies to stillbirths occurring on or after the commencement date.