§ 5222. Reports

(a) The following fetal deaths shall be reported by the hospital, physician, or funeral director directly to the Commissioner within seven days after delivery on forms prescribed by the board:

(1) All fetal deaths of 20 or more weeks of gestation or, if gestational age is unknown, of 400 or more grams, 15 or more ounces, fetal weight shall be reported;

(2) All therapeutic or induced abortions, as legally authorized to be performed, of any length gestation or weight shall be reported;

(3) Spontaneous abortions and ectopic pregnancies of less than 20 weeks gestation are not required to be reported.

(b) The physician who treats a woman as a result of a miscarriage or abortion shall report the fetal death if it is not known to be previously reported under subsection (a) of this section. If there is evidence of violence or other unusual or suspicious circumstances, the medical examiner shall be immediately notified, and he or she shall complete at least the medical items on the report. If a funeral director is to be involved, the physician may delegate to the funeral director the responsibility for completing items other than those of a medical nature. Similarly, the physician may delegate the responsibility for completion of nonmedical items to appropriate personnel having access to records containing the information.

(c) If a fetal death occurs on a moving conveyance, the place of occurrence shall be given as the town or city where removal from the vehicle took place.

(d) Fetal death reports are for statistical purposes only and are not public records. They shall be destroyed after five years. (Added 1973, No. 99, § 1.)