Baby loss certificate would 'prove my child existed'
Londonderry mum Julie-Ann Coll holds dear the memory box she has kept for her baby son Mark who died at 22 weeks into her pregnancy, almost two decades ago.
Inside is a booklet, two photos, a flower from his funeral and imprints of his tiny hand and foot.
A baby that dies after 24 weeks is officially recorded as a stillbirth, however, there is no such formal recognition for babies lost earlier.
Since February, bereaved parents in England who lose a baby before 24 weeks can now receive a certificate in recognition of their loss.
Ms Coll has appealed to Stormont's health minister, Robin Swann, to listen to bereaved parents in Northern Ireland and introduce a similar scheme.
The minister has said his department is engaging with its counterparts in England with a view to understanding whether it might be possible to implement such a scheme in Northern Ireland.
Currently in England, all parents who have experienced baby loss since September 2018 can apply.
There are plans for the eligibility timeframe to be widened in the future.
In Wales, there are plans to deliver a similar scheme.
A memorial book where people can record their pre-24-week losses is already up and running in Scotland.
A baby loss certificate is not a legal document, but it is an official government-issued one.
'I got to hold him'
Ms Coll feels a certificate recognising her loss almost 20 years on, would be invaluable.
"I gave birth to my son," she said, "but I have no formal proof or recognition that I had a child because he was born under 24 weeks."
"Baby Mark was born, he was beautiful, I got to hold him.
"He's as much in my life as the rest of my children.
"The certificate would have it in black and white. My baby existed."
Ms Coll said to hold a baby loss certificate in her hand would be "amazing".
"Any parent who has lost a child holds on so tight to anything they have because they have no confirmation of their baby's being.
"This piece of paper would be like gold dust.
"I would be able to keep with it the rest of the family birth certificates at home.
"The certificates would just mean the world to so many people."
Charities believe there are at least a quarter of a million miscarriages in the UK every year and more than 11,000 hospital admissions for losses because of ectopic pregnancies.
SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan said he has been campaigning for baby loss certificates for several years after being approached by a number of parents.
"It would be a small step but a very significant one in recognising baby loss," he said.
"I would appeal to the minister to listen to these parents.
"The emotional value of it would far outweigh any cost," he said.
In a statement to BBC News NI, the health minister said he recognised the impact that pregnancy loss at any stage can have on parents.
He said he "welcomed the recent introduction of pre-24-week pregnancy loss certificates in England, as recommended by the Independent Pregnancy Loss Review commissioned by the Westminster Government.
"My department will continue to engage with their counterparts in the Department of Health and Social Care in England as the new system is embedded there, with a view to understanding whether it might be possible to implement such a scheme in Northern Ireland, including any associated costs."
Zoe Clark-Coates campaigned for nine years for the certificates and runs the pregnancy loss support charity, The Mariposa Trust.
She is also the co-chair and author of the UK government's Pregnancy Loss Review.
Ms Clark-Coates said she's hopeful the scheme will be extended to Northern Ireland.
"The piece of work we did was just for England, but we were always told the hope was that this would be expanded and be available in all four nations," she said.
"We haven't got dates, but we are aware that this has been asked for in Northern Ireland as widely as it has been in England.
"If it wasn't rolled out, I would be personally devastated but I am hopeful that families won't have to wait too long.
"There may be a cost in issuing the certificate - but I believe that cost is tiny in comparison to what families are getting in return."
