We understand that some bereaved families have lived for many years without knowing what happened to their baby following a pregnancy loss, stillbirth or death shortly after birth, because of the practices that were in place at the time.

You may not have been involved in the arrangements at the time, or you may only feel ready to ask these questions now, understandably.

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust and Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust are working together to help families who are looking for this historical information.

Is this the right service for me?

This service is for historical enquiries, particularly if:

  • Your baby died many years ago.
  • You were not told what happened to your baby afterwards.
  • You want to find out whether your baby was buried or cremated.
  • You are trying to find out where your baby was buried or cremated.
  • You want to know whether historical records still exist.
  • The hospital involved has since closed or changed its name.
  • You have tried to find this information before but still have unanswered questions.

If your baby has died recently, please do not use this historical enquiry form. The Maternity, Neonatal or Bereavement Team caring for you will support you with current arrangements and explain who to contact.

Why might information from many years ago be difficult to find?

The way babies who died before, during or shortly after birth were cared for, and how parents were involved in arrangements, was very different in the past.

Before the mid-1980s, parents were often not involved in making funeral arrangements for a baby who was stillborn or died shortly after birth. Some families were not told where their baby was buried or cremated.

The rules for registering a stillbirth have also changed over time:

  • Before 1 October 1992, a baby born without signs of life could be registered as stillborn from 28 completed weeks of pregnancy
  • From 1 October 1992, this changed to 24 completed weeks of pregnancy

This means that, for some older losses, particularly those earlier in pregnancy, there may be no formal stillbirth registration. Records of burial or cremation may also be unavailable.

Hospitals and services have changed over the years. Some hospitals have closed or changed their names, and some older records may be incomplete or may no longer exist.

These dates are not a cut-off for contacting us.

If you have unanswered questions, please get in touch, even if you do not know the exact date, hospital or how many weeks pregnant you or your family member were.

How we can help

Our team will listen to what you would like to find out and explain what searches may be possible.

Depending on your enquiry, we may need to search records held by hospitals, former hospital services, local authorities, cemeteries, crematoria, archives or other organisations.

You do not need to have all the information before contacting us. Tell us what you know or remember, even if the details are approximate.

We cannot promise that we will be able to find a record or identify an exact resting place. Historical records can sometimes be missing or incomplete.

But we will be honest with you about:

  • What we have searched
  • What information we have found
  • What we have been able to confirm
  • What remains uncertain
  • Whether any further reasonable searches are possible

Not finding a record does not mean that a burial or cremation did not happen, and it does not make your baby or your loss any less important.

Contact us

You can make a historical burial or cremation enquiry using the form below.

Historical Burials and Cremations Enquiry Form

If you would prefer to speak to someone, please call:

01922 604637

We will update you every 20 working days, or sooner if information becomes available, throughout your enquiry.

We will keep in touch even if there is no new information to share.

Our promise to you

We will be compassionate and listen with care, give you a named contact, make all reasonable searches, keep you updated and be honest about what we can and cannot find.

We recognise that beginning a search like this may bring back difficult memories. You can ask us to pause your enquiry at any time. We can also help you find bereavement, pastoral or other emotional support if you need it.

Please do not worry if you cannot answer every question on the form. Complete as much as you can remember, and we will contact you if we need any further information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read our FAQs below.