The Hodgman Liberal Government is very pleased to announce that from today Tasmanian parents who have experienced the loss of a baby in early pregnancy can now apply for a certificate of recognition of loss.
There is currently no capacity in Tasmania to recognise a baby that is lost before 20 weeks gestation or if the baby weighed less than 400 grams. Introducing this recognition is an important step which has been strongly advocated for by members of the community, and particularly Bears of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support.
It is fitting that we are able to launch the recognition of loss certificates by joining Bears of Hope at an event to mark today’s International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
From today, the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages can now issue recognition of early pregnancy loss certificates upon receipt of an application from parents, supported by a medical practitioner.
Sadly, there are over 40 stillbirths and 20 newborn deaths every year in Tasmania. One in four women will also experience a miscarriage. This means that there are a significant number of families in our community who at some point have to deal with the pain of such a loss.
We announced our commitment to implement these certificates earlier this year, and I sincerely hope that this step helps parents by showing our support and recognising the tragic loss they have suffered.
New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland have already established a similar process, with Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory also planning to offer an early pregnancy loss certificate in the near future.
Further details about the certificates and the application process can be found at http://www.justice.tas.gov.au/bdm
Vanessa Goodwin, Attorney-General
