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Miscarriage Birth Certificates

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Last week, Florida governor Rick Scott signed a bill into law that gives parents who suffer miscarriages the option of receiving a birth certificate.

“Certificates of nonviable birth” would be available to parents whose miscarriages take place between nine and twenty weeks of gestation. Parents would have the option to list the name and gender of the fetus.

After twenty weeks, Florida law already requires a death certificate and gives parents the option of a “certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth”.

The certificates would include a disclaimer that they do not signify a live birth, a move aimed at minimizing any possible chance they could be used for fraud. A midwife, nurse or doctor would have to file the request.

So far, Florida is the only state to pass a miscarriage birth certificate law. There is currently no effort to do the same in New Hampshire.

Supporters argue the policy shows compassion for grieving parents, allowing them to acknowledge the loss of their child. They maintain that the bill has nothing to do with establishing personhood for a fetus or defining when life begins.

Opponents counter that the move is a backhanded swipe at abortion rights, implicitly defining “life” as beginning early in pregnancy. Others express concern that while the law is currently voluntary, it could easily become mandatory or a default policy, inflicting more suffering on those who have lost their babies.

Do you think New Hampshire should offer optional birth certificates for miscarriages? Leave a comment and have your say, or visit our Abortion Rights page to learn more about related debates in the Granite State.

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