Stillbirths 1960's

[lindy-lou]

hi all
can anybody help me with this.....is there anywhere to get info on what happened to a stillborn child in 1960's?

cheers
lindy-lou

[MonicaL]

Hi Lindy Lou

Have you checked the extended SP birth/death indexes. There should be something there I would have thought if the baby was full term.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Ah..nothing is ever so straighforward...

From www.rcog.org.uk/resources/public/pdf/goodpractice4.pdf

What is the law relating to the registration of stillbirths?

The current law on stillbirth registration as set out in the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 (as
amended by the Still-Birth (Definition) Act 1992), Section 41, is as follows:
‘a child which has issued forth from its mother after the twenty-fourth week of pregnancy and
which did not at any time after being completely expelled from its mother breathe or show any
other signs of life, and the expression ‘still-birth’ shall be construed accordingly’
If a child is born dead in the circumstances set out in the Act, the doctor or midwife will issue a medical
certificate of stillbirth that enables the woman or couple to register the stillbirth.This is entered on to the
stillbirth register, which is separate from the standard Register of Births.The woman or couple is then issued
with a Certificate of Stillbirth and the documentation for burial or cremation.

The question would be now, who keeps the Register of Stillbirths (GROS?)

Monica

[Rockford]

Hi Lindy-Lou

There is a Register of Stillbirths in Scotland, held by GROS, but my understanding is that this is closed for public access and won't be searchable on Scotlands People.

More information might be available at http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/

Best wishes

Rockford

[MonicaL]

These are the current guidelines issued by the GROS at www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/regscot/registering-a-stillbirth.html. There have been a number of changes to the laws over the last 50yr period.

Monica

[lindy-lou]

hi monicalesl
thanks for all the info and the quick response...after reading the 1st reply you posted i'm a little confused.
i'm trying to find out whether baby was given a proper or paupers burial....i'm positive that i was told by a relative that they often wondered what happened to the baby....but if documentation had to be obtained surely they would know where the baby was laid to rest?
i think i will try and phone records office tomorrow to see if they can help

lindy-lou

[MonicaL]

Sounds like the best option. The key thing to remember is that the law was different for pregnacies that ended before 24 weeks of pregnancy and those babies stillborn after 24 weeks. Hope you find the answers you are looking for.

Monica 

[lindy-lou]

Hi Monica
just off phone with GROS, i have to submit in writing all the details i have and they will carry out a search for an entry in the records.....records aren't indexed so might be difficult, hopefully i have enough info to give them....if successful i can then approach local authority to get funeral details etc.
keeping my fingers crossed.

lindy-lou

[Stewarty076]

Hi Lindy Lou

Have you checked the extended SP birth/death indexes. There should be something there I would have thought if the baby was full term.

Monica

Hi Monica, Can you please tell me how to do the extended search as I cannot seem to find it on SP!
Thank you for your time
Gill