Birth Certificates for Stillborn Babies
- 13-07-11
In 2005, Pennsylvania resident Heidi Kauffman was pregnant: excitedly anticipating the birth of her baby. Tragically, her baby was stillborn. Her distress was further compounded by the fact that Pennsylvania refused to issue a birth certificate for her stillborn child.
So Kauffman devoted years to a legislative campaign. Her efforts have resulted in Pennsylvania’s recent announcement that its law will now permit parents of stillborn babies to be given birth certificates.
Kauffman promises to be the first in line to get one.
As State Senator Jake Corman said, “(Heidi) wanted a birth certificate. She carried (the baby) to term and gave birth to a child. There was no way to recognize that (before).”
More than two dozen other American states already have similar laws. Each year, over 30,000 babies are stillborn in the USA alone.
It may seem like a little thing, a piece of paper recognizing a stillborn child. But as spokeswoman for pro-life Governor Tom Corbett, Kirsten Page, said: “Many grieving parents who have lived through stillbirth feel that having a certificate recognizes the life of their child.”
Parents in Pennsylvania can now get some comfort, knowing that the State recognizes the obvious: that a stillborn child is still a child, and that the baby’s life should be honoured.
Credit: columnist Maria Vitale, LifeNews.com July 07, 2011
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