Parliament recently passed a new legislation that allows parents registering names for stillborn and redefining the timeline of a stillborn child, providing comfort to bereaved parents.
Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development, emphasized that heartfelt sentiments from grieving parents influenced this decision. These parents stressed the importance of officially naming their stillborn child as a part of their healing process.
Source: The Convergence
Acknowledging the Loss: Names and Certificates for Stillborn Children
Currently, parents receive digital stillbirth certificates for their stillborn babies, but these certificates do not include the child’s name. With the amendments to legislation, parents will now have the opportunity to apply and register a name for their stillborn child within one year after the stillbirth. The newly issued digital stillbirth certificate, available for download from the My Legacy website, will then display the child’s registered name, providing a sense of recognition and remembrance.
Implementation Timeline and Options of Registering Names for Stillborn
Minister Sun emphasized that implementing the official naming of stillborn children will require enhancements to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s (ICA) systems.
As ICA is currently occupied with other pressing system enhancements, the changes related to stillbirth naming are estimated to take approximately two years. Meanwhile, parents who wish to name their stillborn children can apply for a commemorative birth certificate on the ICA’s website for remembrance purposes.
However, it’s important to note that these commemorative birth certificates, although issued by ICA and bearing the names of the stillborn children, are not official legal documents.
Expanding the Definition of Stillbirth
As part of the new legislation, the definition of a stillborn child has been adjusted. Previously, a stillborn child was defined as one after 22 weeks of pregnancy. However, the revised law now states that a stillborn child is one after 24 weeks of pregnancy. This change aligns with local medical and scientific evidence, which indicates that fetal viability, or the ability of a fetus to survive outside the womb, typically occurs at 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Source: UNICEF
Addressing Concerns from the Medical Community
Initially, the previous threshold of 22 weeks raised concerns among doctors about the potential misinterpretation of fetal viability. Following this, The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) received feedback from the medical community. They highlighted that local medical and scientific evidence indicates that 24 weeks should be considered the threshold for fetal viability. To avoid confusion and ensure informed decision-making, consequently, the new legislation aligns with the Termination of Pregnancy Act. This act permits abortions only in cases of medical exigencies after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Counselling and Informed Decision-Making
Recent legislative changes, which are a significant step towards recognizing the bereavement of parents who have experienced stillbirth, now allow the registering of names for stillborn children. This new law aims to comfort and acknowledge parents who have sadly lost their child before birth.
This change allows parents to register their child’s name within a year after the stillbirth, a symbolic gesture that underscores the significance of their child in their lives and hearts. The act of registering names for stillborn children is a poignant acknowledgement of their existence and an important step in the healing process for grieving families.
Source: iStock
Additionally, the definition of stillbirth has been clarified as occurring at 24 weeks. This clear timeline provides parents with more precise information about medical interventions for their unborn child, reducing confusion and unnecessary stress. Parents are provided with comprehensive counselling regarding the risks and potential outcomes, taking into consideration specific factors such as the mother’s medical conditions.
These compassionate amendments to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act allow for registering names for stillborn children, responding to a deeply personal and painful experience. They signify a societal recognition of loss and provide comfort to bereaved parents, assisting them on their path towards healing.
Know More about the Newest: Registering Names for Stillborn
For more information, it would be beneficial to visit the official website of the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
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