How was a stillbirth registered 1936?

[mum mum]

Hi
Yesterday I found a death registered as a child of my Grandparents in 1941, I found they had a daughter who only lived for 9 hours, I was able to buy her death certificate.
Now I am told that there was another stillbirth in 1936, but there is no death record. Would the birth have been recorded? Just a bit interested to know if that one was a boy or girl,
Makes me think of my Grandmother in a different light today, until now I thought it was all just happy families. Now I find that she had to deal with the loss of her last two children and most likely never be able to visit their graves. They were buried in the nearest large town where the hospital is, most likely in an unknown location.
mum mum

[majm]

I am not sure MM but from an NSW dc for late aunt who died 1939 in NSW in childbirth her wee SB is noted on her dc with 'baby male O days' after the names ages of those living older children and there is no dc for this wee SB ... Uncle had the headstone include his name though ... Daniel Robert ... and Uncles dc includes this wee baby

JM

[mum mum]

Hi
I can't find a death for the baby, perhaps there was a birth registered. I might see iif I can check the cemetery records.
My Mum's elder sister is coming over to stay soon so I will raise the subject with them, apparently the both knew about the babies. Would be nice to pay our respects to them somehow.
mum mum

[Marmalady]

You don't say where the family was located but here in the UK only live births got birth & death certificates

If the baby was stillborn, it would be on the stillborn register -- which is not open to view. Only specific relatives can apply for a copy of a stillbirth certificate:

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/LIN/civilreg.html#Stillbirth :

Stillborn children were not registered prior to 1927.

Stillbirth registration was introduced on 1 July 1927 to help protect infant life, provide a valuable source of statistical information and to give parents the opportunity to have their child officially acknowledged. A stillborn child is a child born after the 24th week of pregnancy who did not breathe or show any other signs of life. When a child is stillborn the midwife or doctor will issue a medical certificate of stillbirth which will be used to register the stillbirth.

When stillbirth registration was introduced the the age limit was the end of the 28th week of pregnancy, not the 24th (as it is now). This is a relatively recent change following the greatly increased survival rates of premature babies.

Current GRO policy on obtaining stillbirth certificates: "Due to the sensitive nature of stillbirth registrations, the procedure for ordering a certificate of the entry differs from other types of certificates. We will only send out the application form after we have been contacted by phone or in writing by the mother or father (if he is named on the certificate). In cases where the parents are deceased, a brother or sister can apply if they can provide their parents' dates of death."



OOOPS just realised you have posted this on the Australia board, so guess it is Aussie records you are looking for -- sorry!

[mum mum]

That's OK, interesting reading how things have changed now.
mum mum

[Billyblue]

I think the situation is much the same in Australia, as listed by Marmalady.

A birth certificate is issued for a person who lives. It cannot be issued for a babe born dead.  There is only a type of 'stillbirth registration'.
If the baby takes only one gulp of air it would be considered a live birth, but stillborn children have no pulse etc. and are already dead when delivered.

That the child '0 days' is listed on his parent's dc is because this is the information given by the informant, probably the spouse, who would not have also volunteered the information 'oh but it was a stillbirth'.
Dawn M          

[PrueM]

Which state was this in, MM?  If NSW, the info as to what should have happened is here:
http://www.bdm.nsw.gov.au/births/stillbirths.htm

[mum mum]

Hi
It was in Victoria, I wonder if they were included on my Grandfather's death certificate.
mum mum

[PrueM]

Might have been, MM - worth a look, anyway.

Just found this from the PROV:
"Registration of stillbirths did not come into operation in Victoria until circa 1953 and has its authority under the Registration of Birth, Deaths and Marriages Act 1952 (No.5623). Prior to this date, in accordance with the provisions of the Cemeteries Act of the (Commonwealth) Social Services Consolidation Act 1947, cases were notified to Registrars."

Not sure what it means by "notified to Registrars" and what the Registrars then did with the information