Registering a stillbirth in Ireland

Ireland has provided for the registration of stillbirths occurring in the State since 1 January 1995.

There are also provisions for parents or relatives to register a stillborn child born prior to January 1995.

The registration of a stillbirth is voluntary.

From 16 September 2024, the new definition for a stillborn child is a child who, at birth:

• weighs not less than 400 grammes

or

• has a gestational age of not less than 23 weeks and shows no sign of life

From this date, where there is a multiple pregnancy, and one of the children is a ‘stillborn child’ any other child of the pregnancy who, at birth:

• weighs not less than 200 grammes

and

• shows no signs of life

may also be registered as a stillborn child.

You can apply to us to place a record from the Register of Stillbirths into a public database, known as the Record of Stillbirths.

More information around this process is available here.

Stillbirths are registered in any local civil register office – you can find the postal and e-mail addresses for your local Civil Registration Office here.

Please bring photographic ID and written evidence of the stillbirth with you. You may get a certificate at the time you register the stillbirth. There is no fee for registering a stillbirth.

The following information is recorded in the Register of Stillbirths:

• time, date and place of birth of the child
• the child's gender
• the child's weight and gestational period
• the child's forename(s) and surname
• the mother's forename(s) and surname (as known as of date of birth of child)
• the mother's birth surname
• birth surname of mother's mother
• all previously used surnames of the mother (if any)
• the mother's normal occupation
• the mother's normal address at the date of birth
• the mother's date of birth
• the mother's marital status
• the mother's Personal Public Service (PPS) Number

Similar information is entered for the other parent.

If a stillbirth happened before 1 January 1995, you must give specific evidence at registration. This evidence could be an authoritative statement in writing from a hospital, a nursing home or midwife stating the date and place of birth, the weight and/or the gestational age of the stillborn child. The Registrar may accept, subject to the approval from the Superintendent Registrar, other forms of evidence.

Future online process

We are developing an online process for the registration of a stillbirth. Further details will be announced soon.

Certificates from the Register of Stillbirths

You may get a certificate at the time you register the stillbirth and there is no fee.

You can also get copies of the certificate from the General Register Office.

Information on how to apply for certificates.

The Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Act 2024 established a new database that may have certain records from the Register of Stillbirths.

From Monday 16 September 2024, you can apply to the General Register Office (GRO) to have details of your child’s entry in the Register of Stillbirths recorded in the Record of Stillbirths.

You can get copies of entries from the Record of Stillbirths by applying to us.

You can also apply to us to carry out searches for entries in the Record of Stillbirths.

Who can apply to have an entry recorded in the Record of Stillbirths?

• a parent of the stillborn child
• where both parents are dead, a relative of either parent

and

• such other person as the General Registrar may determine

What is required to have an entry recorded in the Record of Stillbirths?

• there must be an existing entry for the child in the Register of Stillbirths
• the person making the request must be a parent, a relative or satisfy the GRO that they are a person who can make such a request

How do I apply to have an entry recorded in the Record of Stillbirths?

You can email the General Register Office (GRO) at StillBirthRecords@welfare.ie. We will deal with your application and explain the process to you. We will tell you what documents you may need to complete the application.

What is the difference between the Record of Stillbirths and the Register of Stillbirths?

The Register of Stillbirths is not open to the public. Entries in this register can only be viewed by family members.

To have an entry in the Record of Stillbirths, there must be a matching entry in the Register of Stillbirths. Parents or family members can apply to the General Register office for an entry in the Register of Stillbirths to be recorded in the Record of Stillbirths.

The entries in the Record of Stillbirths can be examined by any member of the public and a copy of an entry can be got following a request to the General Register Office.

Do I have to record an entry in the Record of Stillbirths?

No. This is a voluntary register. No record will be created unless the birth has already been registered in the Register of Stillbirths and a parent or family member applies to us to have a record created.

Can I get copies of an entry in the Record of Stillbirths?

Yes. The Record of Stillbirths is an open database. This means that any member of the public can apply to us to search for a record. You can email the General Register Office (GRO) at StillBirthRecords@welfare.ieto apply to search the records.

Is every entry from the Register of Stillbirths recorded in the Record of Stillbirths?

No. The Record of Stillbirths will only have an entry where a parent or family member has applied to us for the entry to be included in the Record of Stillbirths.