130A-114. Fetal death registration; certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.

(a) Each spontaneous fetal death occurring in the State of 20 completed weeks gestation or more, as calculated from the first day of the last normal menstrual period until the day of delivery, shall be reported within 10 days after delivery to the local registrar of the county in which the delivery occurred. The report shall be made on a form prescribed and furnished by the State Registrar.

(b) When fetal death occurs in a hospital or other medical facility, the person in charge of the facility shall obtain the cause of fetal death and other required medical information over the signature of the attending physician, and shall prepare and file the report with the local registrar.

(c) When a fetal death occurs outside of a hospital or other medical facility, the physician in attendance at or immediately after the delivery shall prepare and file the report. When a fetal death is attended by a person authorized to attend childbirth, the supervising physician shall prepare and file the report. Fetal deaths attended by lay midwives and all other persons shall be treated as deaths without medical attendance as provided for in G.S. 130A-115 and the medical examiner shall prepare and file the report.

(d) For any spontaneous fetal death occurring in this State, either parent of the stillborn child may file an application with the State Registrar requesting a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. The certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth (i) shall be based upon the information available from the fetal death report filed pursuant to this section, (ii) shall not include any reference to the name of the stillborn child if the fetal death report does not include the name of the stillborn child and the parent filing the application does not elect to provide a name, and (iii) shall clearly indicate that it is not proof of a live birth. If the spontaneous fetal death occurred in this State prior to July 1, 2001, the State Registrar may not issue a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth unless the application for the certificate is accompanied by a certified copy of the fetal death report. Issuance of a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth does not replace the requirement to file a report of fetal death under this section.