At long last, stillborn babies have the legal right to official recognition. A recent law change now allows non-viable infants at birth to be entered into the basic population register, providing much-needed validation for grieving families.
If you've never faced this heartbreaking situation, it might seem surprising, but for affected parents, this reform is a profound milestone.
Parents have long mourned the lack of acknowledgment for their lifeless child. Now, that's changed. While grief remains unchanged, official recognition offers a vital step in healing. Registering your stillborn baby affirms their place in the family—both emotionally and in all official records.
For pregnancies over 24 weeks, parents must register a stillbirth. You can handle this yourself, or the hospital or funeral director can assist.
Previously, this only appeared in the death register, denying birth recognition. This applied solely to stillbirths; if the baby lived briefly, birth registration occurred. That arbitrary distinction has now been eliminated.
Retroactive registration is possible. If a stillbirth certificate exists, contact the municipality where the birth and death were registered to convert it.
Funeral or cremation arrangements for stillborn babies were once challenging. Before 24 weeks, parents could even bury the baby in nature or their garden.
Medical costs fall under the mother's health insurance, but funerals are not covered. Average costs for a stillborn child's funeral are around €1,000. Funeral insurance often excludes this, even if parents are covered—though some policies make exceptions.
