Registration of Neonatal Deaths

When should registration be completed?

Your baby’s death will normally need to be registered within 8 days and before burial/ cremation can take place.

Who can register the death?

A neonatal death can be registered by either parent or a close family member.

Registration of birth is necessary prior to registration of death and depending on circumstances both may be done at the same time. However if you are not married or in a civil partnership and both parents names have to appear on the entry of birth then both parents should normally attend the registration office together.

Where should I register the death?

You may register at any Registration Office in Scotland. As most registration offices now operate an appointment system it is advisable to contact them first before going there.

What information will I need?

You will have been given a “Medical Certificate of Cause of Death” (Form11) by the doctor who attended your baby. This should be taken to the registration office along with your baby’s birth certificate if the birth has been registered previously.

Following registration – what should I do next?

When registration is complete you will be given a “Certificate of Registration of Death” (Form 14) which should be given to the  funeral director.

As part of a national review of death certificates, your ‘Medical Certificate of Cause of Death’ (Form 11) may be randomly selected for review which means that the ‘Certificate of Registration of Death’ (Form 14) may not be issued at the time of registration but would be as soon as possible after the review (normally within 1-3 days). Initial funeral arrangements can still be made though cannot take place until the review is complete and the  ‘Certificate of Registration of Death’ (Form 14) has been provided.

An abbreviated extract of the ‘Certificate of Registration of Death’ issued at the time or within one month of registration is provided FREE.  A full copy of the ‘Certificate of Registration of Death’ provided at the time or within one month of registration will cost £10.00.

Thereafter any subsequent copies of either will cost £15.00 or £10.00 in being able to show the original copy.

Further help and advice

Nurses, Midwives, Doctors, Funeral Care Services and Registrars are available to give guidance. Please do not hesitate to make contact and ask for further information or assistance if required.

If you need this information in another language or format, please e-mail:

Translation.Services@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk