The Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss Prior to 24 Weeks (“the Memorial Book”) is a commemorative record held by National Records of Scotland.
It offers the opportunity to provide recognition and may offer comfort to those who wish to have a record of their loss.
It was developed after listening to people who have experienced a pregnancy or baby loss prior to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Applying for an entry
Applications for entries to be made in the Memorial Book are voluntary. There is no legal requirement to record the loss of a pregnancy which took place before the 24th week, where there were no signs of life when the loss occurred.
There is no time limit on making an application for an entry in the Memorial Book. Applications can be submitted for:
- a historical loss
- a recent loss
Who can apply for an entry to be made
The mother/woman/person who has had the loss prior to the end of the 24th week of pregnancy may apply for an entry to be made in the Memorial Book.
Details of the father/parent/partner of the person who has had the loss may only be recorded in the Memorial Book if the person who had the loss also signs the same application form.
The loss must have occurred in Scotland, or the applicant must be resident in Scotland at the time the application is made.
How to apply
No evidence is required to be submitted along with the application. No proof of pregnancy or the loss will be requested in support of an application.
You can either:
Application forms can be:
- signed digitally or with a typed signature
- printed and signed in ink, before being posted or emailed to our team at the address listed on the form
Certificates of entries
Once the loss has been recorded in the Memorial Book, a commemorative certificate of the entry will be issued to the applicant(s) free of charge.
A certificate from the Memorial Book has no legal status and cannot be used as evidence of the loss.
Requests for certificates
Requests for a certificate from an event recorded in the Memorial Book will only be considered from the people named on the entry.
Restrictions on access to information contained in an entry in the Memorial Book expire once the subjects have died. However, we will look to maintain a duty of confidentiality with personal data held within the Memorial Book.
Further information can be found in our privacy notice.
A person’s signature on the application form is taken as confirmation that they have read, and are in agreement with, the provisions in the Privacy Notice.
Correct or cancel an entry
If you are a person named on an entry in the Memorial Book and wish for that entry to be corrected or cancelled, contact our Memorial Book team for further advice.
Contact us
If you have any queries regarding the Memorial Book or how to order a certificate, please contact our team at:
The Memorial Book Team
Room 36
New Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT
You can also contact us through the contact form
