Highlights: From now on, English men and women who suffer a miscarriage will be able to receive a certificate. Certificate gives official existence to the terminated pregnancy. Until now, only stillborn children were recognized by the State. Certificate has no legal value, it is neither a birth certificate nor a death certificate. But it is a strong symbol and a help for perinatal mourning, says Émeline Vin Julia, who suffered a miscarriage fifteen years ago.. The certificates, established on honor, will not have legal value so as not to call into question abortion, possible in England up to 24 weeks.

From now on, English men and women who suffer a miscarriage will be able to receive a certificate, which gives official existence to the terminated pregnancy. So far, only stillborn babies…

United Kingdom: a certificate to give official existence to an interrupted pregnancy

From now on, English men and women who suffer a miscarriage will be able to receive a certificate, which gives official existence to the terminated pregnancy.

Until now, only stillborn children were recognized by the State, that is to say after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The new certificate has no legal value, it is neither a birth certificate nor a death certificate.

But it is a strong symbol and a help for perinatal mourning.

A gynecologist performs an ultrasound on a pregnant woman (illustrative photo).

AFP - ADNAN BECI

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in London,

Émeline Vin

Julia suffered a miscarriage fifteen years ago.

This Englishwoman would have liked to receive a certificate at the time.

“

There was no record that this baby had existed.
For any other type of mourning, we mark the occasion.
It made grieving even more difficult

,” she confides.

Julia hopes that these (optional) certificates will help to lift the taboo around perinatal bereavement, in particular for so-called early miscarriages.

“

In general,

” she explains, “

you don’t tell anyone until you’re three months pregnant.
So not only had we lost the baby, but we couldn't get support from our friends or family, because no one knew!
It reinforced this feeling of “

move around, there’s nothing to see

”.

For now, only people who “

lost a pregnancy

” after 2018 are eligible.

Ruth Bender-Atik, president of the Miscarriages association, has supported the measure for a long time.

“

The certificate,”

she said,

“is issued by the government.
It's an official document, it's symbolic, but I think it will console a lot of people to see the existence of their future baby recognized.

The certificates, established on honor, will not have legal value – among other things so as not to call into question abortion, possible in England up to 24 weeks.

United Kingdom: a certificate to give official existence to an interrupted pregnancy

United Kingdom: a certificate to give official existence to an interrupted pregnancy

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