Sun Xueling on Stillbirths and Births (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill
Parents of stillborn babies will be able to register their child’s name within a year of the delivery, under a Bill put up for debate in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 9). Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling told the House that her ministry had heard “deeply felt sentiments” that a stillbirth was similar to the loss of any child and for some parents, being able to officially name the child was an important step in the healing process. The move will require enhancements to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s systems, which will take an estimated two years. In the meantime, parents can apply for a commemorative birth certificate that reflects the stillborn child’s name. The Bill also redefines a stillborn child as one who is delivered after 24 weeks of pregnancy, up from 22 weeks. Ms Sun said the Ministry of Home Affairs had reviewed the matter with the Ministry of Health and decided to align this with the legal cut-off for abortions and remove any potential confusion regarding foetal viability. Necessary changes will also be made to the definition of “stillborn child” in the Income Tax Act 1947 for the purposes of administering tax benefits.
Parents of stillborn babies will be able to register their child’s name within a year of the delivery, under a Bill put up for debate in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 9). Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling told the House that her ministry had heard “deeply felt sentiments” that a stillbirth was similar to the loss of any child and for some parents, being able to officially name the child was an important step in the healing process. The move will require enhancements to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s systems, which will take an estimated two years. In the meantime, parents can apply for a commemorative birth certificate that reflects the stillborn child’s name. The Bill also redefines a stillborn child as one who is delivered after 24 weeks of pregnancy, up from 22 weeks. Ms Sun said the Ministry of Home Affairs had reviewed the matter with the Ministry of Health and decided to align this with the legal cut-off for abortions and remove any potential confusion regarding foetal viability. Necessary changes will also be made to the definition of “stillborn child” in the Income Tax Act 1947 for the purposes of administering tax benefits.
