Still-Birth (Definition) Bill [HL]

Key Points

• The stillbirth threshold is amended to apply from 20 weeks into pregnancy.
• Connected provisions such as registration, reporting, and other processes tied to the definition are updated accordingly.
• Originating in the Lords and currently at Committee stage, meaning it is being examined in detail.
• The change will affect maternity care professionals and civil registrars involved in recording births and deaths.
• Aims to reduce ambiguity and align legal recognition with contemporary understanding of early fetal loss.

Progress

The bill is in Committee stage in the Lords. After detailed scrutiny, it would move to further Lords stages and then to the House of Commons for consideration.