LONDON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Parents who experienced a loss of pregnancy before 24 weeks in England can apply for a baby loss certificate from Thursday.

"Losing a baby can be a hugely traumatic event and the introduction of certificates to formally acknowledge the loss of life is a positive step towards better supporting women and parents affected," Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said in a statement.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, launching the new scheme was "part of the government's response" to an independent review on pregnancy loss that was commissioned in 2018.

The Pregnancy Loss Review, led by two experts, suggested that more should be done to provide care and support to parents who experience a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy or termination for medical reasons.

The certificates will not be compulsory, meaning bereaved parents can have the choice of how they want to manage the loss.

Parents who have experienced baby loss since September 2018 and have been living in England since the time of the loss can access the free service and apply for a certificate online.

"The new certification scheme will make a genuinely positive difference to many who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss," said Ruth Bender Atik, national director of the Miscarriage Association.

In addition to welcoming the introduction of the certificate, she also expressed her expectation of "the scheme being extended to losses prior to that date as soon as possible."

According to Britain's National Health Service (NHS), the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks, or miscarriage, is much more common than most people realize, occurring in around one in eight known pregnancies. Enditem

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