The changes are designed to be more "compassionate" to grieving parents. Photo / 123rf
The changes are designed to be more "compassionate" to grieving parents. Photo / 123rf
The Government will soon make changes to the way stillbirths are registered.
The changes are designed to be more “compassionate” to grieving parents, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said.
Under the current law, stillbirths must be officially registered, but the only available option has been the standard Birth Registration (BRO)form on the SmartStart website, which is used to register the live births too.
This website takes parents through the same process used to register live births. Doocey said many families had described going through the process as upsetting and inappropriate.
Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) are now working on a new portal through the Whetūrangitia website, which is a Government website already used to offer support to grieving parents.
“Whetūrangitia was created with compassion and cultural safety at its heart. Enabling parents to complete a stillbirth registration through this site will mean they can engage with a process that acknowledges their loss and helps connect them with appropriate services and support,” Doocey said.
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Health NZ will fund the DIA to build the site.
“We’re committed to making sure parents who lose a baby are met with dignity, care and the right support at every step. This change is a simple but meaningful way to reduce harm and show compassion at one of the most difficult times in someone’s life,” Doocey said.
“Losing a baby is a heartbreaking experience. For too long, families have had no choice but to complete stillbirth registrations through the same online process designed for parents welcoming home a healthy newborn. That’s not good enough, we’ve heard from grieving families that it adds unnecessary pain at an already traumatic and distressing time,” he said.
Every year in New Zealand, about 700 to 900 families experience perinatal loss and an additional 13,000 to 15,000 families are affected by miscarriage before 20 weeks.
