Legal aspects of perinatal loss

BACKGROUND: Perinatal death is the death of the fetus, starting from 22 weeks of pregnancy and in childbirth, as well as the death of a newborn in the first seven days of life. Despite the fact that reducing perinatal losses is one of the most important tasks of contemporary medicine, the level of perinatal mortality in Russia in recent years has been about 7.5 ‰.

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze documentation related to the legal aspects of perinatal loss.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The article analyzes the main federal laws, agency regulations, orders, methodological letters, recommendations, and materials on the Internet concerning the main aspects and questions that most often arise among doctors, as well as postpartum women who have undergone perinatal loss and their family members.

RESULTS: The article provides data on:

– the medical criteria for birth, basic documentation issued in case of stillbirth, the birth of a live child who died in the perinatal period, and the rules for their issuance;

– the rules and procedure for notifying state bodies in case of perinatal death, the rules for registering a stillborn and a child who died in the first 168 hours of extrauterine life;

– the types of perinatal death certificate;

– the rules for conducting a pathological autopsy and the possibility of refusing it;

– the issues of burial of children who died perinatally;

– the rules for handling material obtained during termination of pregnancy up to 22 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS: The legislative framework was analyzed and answers were given to the most frequently asked questions regarding the legal aspects of perinatal loss.