www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Who can Register a Stillbirth
If the parents were married to each other at the time of the stillbirth or conception. If they were, then either the mother or father can go. If they weren’t, then who goes to the appointment will depend on a number of factors:
- if you want the father's details to be entered in the register, then both parents can go and sign the stillbirth register together.
- if the father is unable to go to the register office with the mother, but you still want his details included, then he can make a statutory declaration on Form 16 acknowledging his paternity which the mother must give to the registrar.
- if the mother is unable to go to the register office with the father, she may make a statutory declaration acknowledging the father's paternity on the same form as above which the father must give to the registrar.
If the father's particulars are not recorded in the stillbirth register, it may be possible for the stillbirth to be re-registered to include his details at a later date. Although the majority of stillbirths are registered by parents, sometimes neither the mother or the father are able to attend. In this case, registration can be done by whichever of the following people is best able to do so:
the occupier of the house or hospital where the stillbirth took place
someone who was present at the stillbirth
someone who is responsible for the stillborn child
the person who found the stillborn child (where the date and place of the stillbirth are unknown)
The registrar will ask for the following details:
Child
- date and place of stillbirth
- the forename(s) and surname, if the parents wish to name the stillborn child
- sex of the child
Father (where his information is to be entered in the register)
- forename(s) and surname
- date and place of birth
- occupation at the time of the stillbirth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation
Mother
- forename(s) and surname
- maiden surname if the mother is, or has been, married
- date and place of birth
- occupation at the time of the stillbirth or, if not employed at that time, the last occupation
- usual address at the date of the stillbirth
- date of marriage, if married to the still-born child's father at the time of the stillbirth
- number of previous children by the present husband and by any former husband
It is vital that all the information recorded in the stillbirth register is completely correct as mistakes can take quite a bit of time and trouble to put right. This is why the person registering the stillbirth should check the information very carefully before signing the entry.
Contact Details
For full contact details, see the Registration Office Contact Details
.
