Birth Notification Research Articles

Maternal characteristics and infant and child mortality: A cohort study in England linking Census and health data

Child mortality is a common measure of the overall health of society. Maternal characteristics, such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status are known to contribute to inequalities in health and mortality in babies and children. Overall, in the UK babies born to non-white mothers have a higher risk of mortality, and there is also a strong association between deprivation and risk of death. However, population data is currently lacking for England and Wales disentangling the various socioeconomic risk factors which are known to contribute to increased risk. We utilise population level data to assess the association between socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and child mortality. Our cohort consisted of all live singleton births in England and Wales between 2011 and 2016. We linked birth notifications to mothers’ 2011 Census records using NHS number, which provides person-level sociodemographic information. Death registration data was linked to identify all-cause and cause-specific deaths in babies. Babies were followed from date-of-birth for up to 10-years, or date-of-death. We report cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality for a 10-year follow-up for neonatal, infant and child deaths based on maternal socioeconomic and ethnic groups. Cox proportional hazard models are used to estimate hazard ratios for neonatal, infant and child deaths, with both minimally adjusted (maternal age and baby sex) and fully-adjusted models (accounting for other maternal, household and birth characteristics). This presentation will give an overview of our unique linked data sources, the statistical techniques employed, the latest available analytical results, and the emerging implications of the research.

‘출생 등록될 권리’의 실현을 위한 헌법적 쟁점

All children must be registered at birth so that they can grow and develop peacefully under the protection and support of the state and society. However, as members of the community, children receive legal guarantees only after they are granted legal status through birth registration. in the case of unregistered children whose birth is not registered, they are not protected by the basic right to survival and social safety net. in the case of children who require assistance from others in the process of growing mentally and physically, their existence as members of the community must first be confirmed in order to guarantee and realize their human rights. Therefore, in this article, we examine the implications of birth registration from the perspective of children's rights and the current status and problems of Korea's birth registration system through the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. in this regard, in order to confirm the legal nature of the right to birth registration, we examine the discussion on the legal nature of the right to birth registration through the decisions of the Constitutional Court. Finally, in order to prevent omission of child birth registration, Analyze the contents of the amendment to the ‘Act on Registration of Family Relations, etc.’, which is the legal basis for the introduction of the birth notification system, and the ‘Special Act on Crisis Pregnancy and Protected Birth Support and Child Protection’, which is the legal basis for the introduction of the protected childbirth system. Afterwards, the limitations of these laws and ways to improve them are presented.

Determinants of birth registration and certification in Southwest Ethiopia: implication for a new strategy to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Birth registration is a child's basic legal and social right that grants them presence and security in their lifetime. However, it was initiated very recently, and its magnitude has not been well examined in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study assessed the magnitude of birth registration of children under two years old in Southwestern Ethiopia. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected 689 mothers or caregivers who had children less than 24 months from 15 April 2023 to 05 June 2023. The study was carried out in Bench Sheko Zone, located in the South West Region of Ethiopia. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with birth registration. In this study, 26.4%, 95% CI (23.2–29.6%) children were registered for birth. Mothers/caregivers who had a notification about birth registration and certification during pregnancy (AOR = 21.8, 95% CI 11.7–40.9) and information about birth registration after delivery (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.4–11.3) were more likely to register for birth and certification compared to their counterparts while mothers/caregivers who had lower income and poor knowledge were less likely to register for birth and certification of their children. The region's current birth registration rate is low, with only one-fourth of all births registered. Birth notification, information about birth registration, knowledge and income level were all significant predictors of registration. Key strategies such as improving information dissemination, promoting institutional deliveries, empowering economic capacity, and increasing community engagement for improving the current birth registration level are needed to ensure that every child's birth is officially recognized. Subsequently, this will establish a foundation for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Electronic Immunization Registry in Rwanda: Qualitative Study of Health Worker Experiences.

Monitoring childhood immunization programs is essential for health systems. Despite the introduction of an electronic immunization registry called e-Tracker in Rwanda, challenges such as lacking population denominators persist, leading to implausible reports of coverage rates of more than 100%. This study aimed to assess the extent to which the immunization e-Tracker responds to stakeholders' needs and identify key areas for improvement. In-depth interviews were conducted with all levels of e-Tracker users including immunization nurses, data managers, and supervisors from health facilities in 5 districts of Rwanda. We used an interview guide based on the constructs of the Human, Organization, and Technology-Fit (HOT-Fit) framework, and we analyzed and summarized our findings using the framework. Immunization nurses reported using the e-Tracker as a secondary data entry tool in addition to paper-based forms, which resulted in considerable dissatisfaction among nurses. While users acknowledged the potential of a digital tool compared to paper-based systems, they also reported the need for improvement of functionalities to support their work, such as digital client appointment lists, lists of defaulters, search and register functions, automated monthly reports, and linkages to birth notifications and the national identity system. Reducing dual documentation for users can improve e-Tracker use and user satisfaction. Our findings can help identify additional digital health interventions to support and strengthen the health information system for the immunization program.

임신갈등 지원정책 연구

This study proposes the implementation of a comprehensive social policy system in Germany that safeguards women's reproductive rights and children's rights to birth. This system comprises a birth notification system, a protected birth system, a pregnancy conflict counseling system, and related service delivery mechanisms. A comparative case study was conducted to explain the support social services and family policy system for women in pregnancy conflict situations, focusing on a pregnancy conflict counseling center in Germany. Following the revision of the Criminal Law in 1992, the German government began to partially legalize abortion and introduce pregnancy conflict counseling centers. This research found that the German government has supported women in pregnancy conflict situations through child-centered cash benefits and family policy programs aimed at promoting work-life balance. Our research underscores the need to establish a social service delivery system that acknowledges women as the primary stakeholders in childbirth. Additionally, this study proposes revisions to laws related to abortion penalties and the establishment of a comprehensive family policy system.

Investigation of infant deaths associated with critical congenital heart diseases; 2018–2021, Türkiye

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of infant mortality associated with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD).MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, data for the study were obtained through Death Notification System, Birth Notification System and Turkish Statistical Institute birth statistics.ResultsOf all infant deaths, 9.8% (4083) were associated with CCHD, and the infant mortality rate specific to CCHD was 8.8 per 10,000 live births. CCHD-related infant deaths accounted for 8.0% of all neonatal deaths, while the CCHD specific neonatal death rate was 4.6 per 10,000 live births. Of the deaths 21.7% occurred in the early neonatal, 30.3% in the late neonatal and 48.0% in the post neonatal period. Group 1 diseases accounted for 59.1% (n = 2415) of CCHD related infant deaths, 40.5% (n = 1652) were in Group 2 and 0.4% (n = 16) were in the unspecified group. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome was the most common CCHD among infant deaths (n = 1012; 24.8%). The highest CCHD related mortality rate was found in infants with preterm birth and low birth-weight while multiparity, maternal age ≥ 35 years, twin/triplet pregnancy, male gender, maternal education in secondary school and below, and cesarean delivery were also associated with higher CCHD related infant mortality rate. There was at least one non-cardiac congenital anomaly/genetic disorder in 26.1% of all cases.ConclusionCCHD holds a significant role in neonatal and infant mortality in Türkiye. To mitigate CCHD-related mortality rates, it is crucial to enhance prenatal diagnosis rates and promote widespread screening for neonatal CCHD.

Profiles of pregnant women encountering motor vehicle crashes in Taiwan, 2008–2017

BackgroundUnderstanding demographic profiles is essential to the assessment of health burden imposed by motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) on pregnant women. However, Asian studies that have examined it are lacking. The study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics and prevalence of MVCs involving pregnant women in Taiwan.MethodsA cross-sectional study conducted by the Taiwan Birth Notification dataset from 2008 to 2017 was linked with the police-reported traffic collision registry to identify pregnant women involved in MVCs. The pregnant women were categorized according to their gestational age, age at delivery, the role of road user (driver, passenger, or pedestrian), and vehicle types (car, two-wheeled motor vehicle, or others). A chi-square test was performed for the significance test.ResultsA total of 22,134 (1.13%) pregnant women were involved in MVCs in the study period. Two-wheeled motor vehicle (47.9%) and driver (81.4%) were the mainly reported vehicle type and road user at the crash scenes, respectively. The majority of MVCs occurred in pregnant women aged 28–34 years. The number of MVCs rapidly declined after 37 weeks of gestation, especially two-wheeled motor vehicle or car crashes. However, the number of pedestrian victims climbed up during the third trimester.ConclusionPregnant women are susceptible to MVCs regardless of their gestational age, role of a road user, or type of vehicle. The findings of this study emphasize the need for increased awareness of traffic collision prevention among pregnant women aged 28–34. In addition, improving pedestrian safety is essential for the reduction of pregnant victims.

Comparative performance of national civil registration and vital statistics systems: a global assessment.

To assess the current state of the world's civil registration and vital statistics systems based on publicly available data and to propose strategic development pathways, including priority interventions, for countries at different levels of civil registration and vital statistics performance. We applied a performance assessment framework to publicly available data, using a composite indicator highly correlated with civil registration and vital statistics performance which we then adjusted for data incomparability and missing values. Globally, civil registration and vital statistics systems score on average 0.70 (0-1 scale), with substantial variations across countries and regions. Scores ranged from less than 0.50 in emerging systems to nearly 1.00 in the most developed systems. Approximately one fifth of the world's population live in the 43 countries with low system performance (< 0.477). Irrespective of system development, health sector indicators consistently scored lower than other determinants of civil registration and vital statistics performance. From our assessment, we provide three main recommendations for how the health sector can contribute to improving civil registration and vital statistics systems: (i)enhanced health sector engagement in birth and death notification; (ii) a more systematic approach to training cause of death diagnostics; and (iii) leadership in the implementation of verbal autopsy methods. Four different civil registration and vital statistics improvement pathways for countries at different levels of system development are proposed, that can constitute a blueprint for regional civil registration and vital statistics strengthening activities that countries can adapt and refine to suit their capabilities, resources, and particular challenges.

Risks of motor vehicle crash before and during pregnancy: A population-based controlled study in Taiwan

BackgroundChanges in risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) during pregnancy are less known, and very few studies have assessed this issue by using unselected population-based datasets and adopting a before-and-during design. The study aimed to address the risk of MVC events in association with pregnancy using a national pregnant women cohort in Taiwan. MethodsWe conducted a self-matched design in which each woman served as a driver before and during pregnancy. A total of 1,372,664 pregnant women with live birth(s) at 18–50 years of age between 2008 and 2017 were identified from the Birth Notification dataset. MVC events as a driver were ascertained from the Police-reported Traffic Accident Registry dataset. We calculated the rate ratio (RR) with a 95 % confidence interval (CI) using the conditional Poisson regression model to compare the MVC event rates between pre-pregnancy and pregnancy periods. ResultsThe overall rate of MVC events was significantly reduced during pregnancy (RR = 0.69, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.68–0.71). Mothers with alcoholism during pregnancy were associated with an increased RR at 2.00 but with a very wide CI. Reduction in RR was primarily attributed to the reduced MVC event rate involving scooter crashes (0.60, 95 % CI = 0.58–0.62). ConclusionAlthough MVC event rates decreased during women became pregnant, many women drivers were still involved in MVCs during pregnancy. Their potential maternal and perinatal conditions along with their offspring's health outcomes need further investigations.

Birth Notification and Registration: A Survey on Knowledge and Attitude Among Postpartum Women in Northwest Ethiopia.

Birth registration is the official and permanent recording of a child's birth within a civil registry, according to the legal requirements of a country. Although the Sustainable Development Goal targets providing legal identity for all by 2030, birth registration levels remain critically low. Therefore, this study aimed to assess postpartum women's knowledge of and attitudes towards birth registration and its associated factors in Northwest Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September 1-30/2022 among 422 participants who were selected using systematic random sampling. A pretested and structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were entered into EPI Info 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify the factors associated with knowledge and attitudes towards birth registration. Variables with a p-value of <0.05 were considered to be significantly associated with the dependent variable. Among the participants, 41.7% had good knowledge of birth registration. Less than one-quarter (22.6%) had a favorable attitude towards birth registration. Having a college and above educational level (AOR = 4.01, 95% CI: 2.3-8.4), being urban resident (AOR = 3.4, 95% CI: 3.1-7.4) and full exposure to media (AOR = 3.02, 95% CI: 1.5-5.7) were associated with knowledge of birth registration. Having primary educational status (AOR = 2.04, 95% CI: 2.96-8.31), being fully exposed to different media (AOR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.22-11.36) and having four or more antenatal care visits (AOR = 5.10, 95% CI: 1.18-14.35) were associated with favorable attitudes towards birth registration. Postpartum women had poor knowledge of and attitudes towards birth registration. Increasing educated women at all levels, awareness rising through different media and integration of birth registration with antenatal care is crucial for realizing the registration of all births by 2030.

Associations of maternal motor vehicle crashes during pregnancy with offspring's neonatal birth outcomes.

Adverse events in fetuses are well researched but studies on the follow-up health outcomes of infants exposed to maternal motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) during pregnancy have yielded inconsistent results. This study aimed to investigate the association of maternal exposure to MVCs during pregnancy with the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes. This population-based cohort study used data from birth notifications in Taiwan. A total of 19277 offspring with maternal exposure to MVCs during pregnancy and 76015 randomly selected comparison offspring without such exposure were selected. Neonatal adverse outcomes were identified from National Health Insurance medical claims data. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of neonatal adverse outcomes. Offspring exposed to maternal MVCs during pregnancy had a higher risk of birth defects (aOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.41) than offspring without such exposure. This positive association was sustained with exposure to an MVC during the first or second trimester. A dose-response relationship (P = 0.0023) was observed between the level of injury severity and the risk of birth defects. In the early stages of pregnancy, maternal exposure to MVCs may entail a risk of birth defects in the offspring. The potential mechanisms for the associations of maternal exposure to MVCs with birth defects need further investigation.

태어난 즉시 ‘출생등록될 권리’와 생부의 출생신고권

On March 23, 2023, the Constitutional Court pronounced that ‘the right to be registered immediately after birth of a child’ is a constitutional a fundamental right under the constitution, and ruled that the provisions of the Act on the Registration, Etc. of Family Relationships, which do not include any clause allowing the birth of a child who is born to a married woman and a man other than her husband to be reported by the child’s biological father are nonconforming to the Constitution. This decision has opened the way for children whose births were not registered for the above reasons to be registered according to the improved legislation.&#x0D; Meanwhile, on June 22, 2023, shortly after this decision, the Board of Audit and Inspection announced the facts about children who were killed or abandoned without having their births registered. With this as an opportunity, the National Assembly expedited discussions on supplementary legislation. Consequently, a revised ‘Act on the Registration, Etc. of Family Relationships’, which introduces a birth registration system with the addition of a birth notification system in medical institutions, is scheduled to be implemented on July 19, 2024, after being amended on July 18, 2023.&#x0D; However, the amended law will not be applied retroactively. Furthermore, even with the implementation of the birth notification system, it will only apply within a limited scope, restricted to Korean nationals. Therefore, the Constitutional Court's decision, still has meaning.&#x0D; In this paper, I examined how the right to be registered immediately after birth of a child rooted in international legal norms, can be found as a fundamental right. I also explained its legal nature, specific content, and limitations. Additionally, I also argued about family relationships under the Constitution and examined that the right to report child’s birth of the biological father out of wedlock should be included within the broad scope of constitutional child custody right.

Neonatal mortality in NHS maternity units by timing and mode of birth: a retrospective linked cohort study

ObjectivesTo compare neonatal mortality in English hospitals by time of day and day of the week according to care pathway.DesignRetrospective cohort linking birth registration, birth notification and hospital episode data.SettingNational...

Maternal outcomes in association with motor vehicle crashes during pregnancy: a nationwide population-based retrospective study

BackgroundLimited studies have assessed the association of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) during pregnancy with adverse maternal outcomes using a population-based nationwide dataset that covers all MVCs.MethodsA total of 20 844...

Perspectives of health service providers in delivering best-practice care for Aboriginal mothers and their babies during the postnatal period

BackgroundEvidence suggests that Aboriginal babies in Western Australia are not receiving adequate primary health care in their first 3 months of life, leading to questions about enablers and constraints to delivering such care. This paper presents findings from a qualitative research project investigating health providers’ perceptions and experiences of best and current practice in discharge planning, postnatal care and health education for Aboriginal mothers and their newborn babies.MethodsConstructivist grounded theory guided this research involving 58 semi-structured interviews conducted with health providers who deliver care to Aboriginal mothers and infants. Participants were recruited from hospital-based and primary health sites in metropolitan Perth, and regional and remote locations in Western Australia.ResultsStructural factors enabling best practice in discharge planning, postnatal care, and health education for mothers included health providers following best practice guidelines and adequate staffing levels. Organisational enablers included continuity of care throughout pregnancy, birth and postnatally. In particular, good communication between services around discharge planning, birth notifications, and training in culturally respectful care. Structural and organisational constraints to delivering best practice and compromising continuity of care were identified as beyond individual control. These included poor communication between different health and social services, insufficient hospital staffing levels leading to early discharge, inadequate cultural training, delayed receipt of birth notifications and discharge summaries received by Aboriginal primary health services.ConclusionFindings highlight the importance of examining current policies and practices to promote best practice in postnatal care to improve health outcomes for mothers and their Aboriginal babies.

Improving Birth Registration Using the Health System: A Case Study from Somali Region of Ethiopia

Birth registration is the process by which the event and characteristics of a child’s birth are recorded in a country’s civil registry. Ethiopia has one of the lowest levels of civil registration in general globally, and of birth registration in particular with only 3 per cent of children under the age 5 registered with civil authorities. In Somali Region of Ethiopia, only 1% of children under 5 have their births registered. A major gap identified in the civil registration system in Ethiopia is the linkage between the health and the civil registration sectors with most children delivered at the health facilities or in the communities not appropriately registered. This case study used qualitative and quantitative methods to describe the process and outcome of a pilot project on improving birth registration using the health system (health facilities and the community health structures) in 2 project woredas (districts) in Somali region of Ethiopia where no birth had been registered more than five years prior the pilot.&#x0D; Within the one-year study period, all 577 births assisted by health extension workers were provided with birth notification slips and 795 (98%) newborns have their birth registered and received birth certificates out of 809 total births reported in the project sites. The study demonstrated the effectiveness of health workers and community structure (mentor mothers) through their community sensitization and mobilization and active reporting process in facilitating registration of births in the civil registration system.

Birth and Death Notifications for Improving Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Bangladesh: Pilot Exploratory Study.

BackgroundEffective health policy formulation requires sound information of the numerical data and causes of deaths in a population. Currently, in Bangladesh, neither births nor deaths are fully and promptly registered. Birth registration in Bangladesh is around 54% nationally. Although the legal requirements are to register within 45 days of an event, only 4.5% of births and 35.9% of deaths were reported within the required time frame in 2020. This study adopted an innovative digital notification approach to improve the coverage of registration of these events at the community level.ObjectiveOur primary objective was to assess (1) the proportion of events identified by the new notification systems (success rate) and the contribution of the different notifiers individually and in combination (completeness) and (2) the proportion of events notified within specific time limits (timeliness of notifications) after introducing the innovative approach.MethodsWe conducted a pilot study in 2016 in 2 subdistricts of Bangladesh to understand whether accurate, timely, and complete information on births and deaths can be collected and notified by facility-based service providers; community health workers, including those who routinely visit households; local government authorities; and key informants from the community. We designed a mobile technology–based platform, an app, and a call center through which the notifications were recorded. All notifications were verified through the confirmation of events by family members during visits to the concerned households. We undertook a household survey–based assessment at the end of the notification period.ResultsOur innovative system gathered 13,377 notifications for births and deaths from all channels, including duplicate reports from multiple sources. Project workers were able to verify 92% of the births and 93% of the deaths through household visits. The household survey conducted among a subsample of the project population identified 1204 births and 341 deaths. After matching the notifications with the household survey, we found that the system was able to capture over 87% of the births in the survey areas. Health assistants and family welfare assistants were the primary sources of information. Notifications from facilities were very low for both events.ConclusionsThe Global Civil Registration and Vital Statistics: Scaling Up Investment Plan 2015-2024 and the World Health Organization reiterated the importance of building an evidence base for improving civil registration and vital statistics. Our pilot innovation revealed that it is possible to coordinate with the routine health information system to note births and deaths as the first step to ensure registration. Health assistants could capture more than half of the notifications as a stand-alone source.

Linking fathers and children in administrative data for public health research: A systematic scoping review.

ObjectivesThe evidence-base for inter-related paternal and child health trajectories is not supported by linked, routinely collected administrative data in England. We conducted a scoping review to identify methods used globally for linking fathers and children in administrative data for public health research and map these methods onto dimensions of fatherhood.&#x0D; ApproachWe searched PubMed, Scopus and Google/Google Scholar for articles published 2000-2020 from OECD countries that link fathers’ and children’s records in administrative data. Search terms included for example: “father” and “administrative data” or “record linkage”. The exposures of interest were any demographic, health, or other characteristics of fathers during their offspring's childhood or prior to birth captured within administrative data. We included studies where paternal information came from fathers' linked records and if outcomes were related to child health and development (e.g. educational attainment, behavioural outcomes, hospital admissions) measured before 18 years of age.&#x0D; ResultsWe identified 77 studies that quantified the association between paternal exposures and child health and development outcomes, using linked administrative data on fathers and their children. Four methods have been used globally to link fathers and children across vital statistics, health, social care, education, and criminal justice records. These methods are based on personal identity numbers (PINs), address or household identifiers, information from birth registrations, or health claims. We mapped what we can learn from these different linkages to dimensions of fatherhood identified through a conceptual framework. For example, for the linkage method based on address/household identifiers, co-residency may be used as a proxy for all dimensions of paternal involvement. However, substantial assumptions are needed when using linkage methods as proxies for paternal involvement.&#x0D; ConclusionIn many settings, changes in practice (such as recording fathers’ National Health Service numbers on hospital birth notifications in England) are required to facilitate linkage of father-child health data at the population level. This would help advance fatherhood research and enable targeted service offers to new fathers.

Neonatal mortality in NHS maternity units by timing of birth and method of delivery: a retrospective linked cohort study.

ObjectivesPotential ‘weekend effects’ in healthcare prompt concerns that care could be of lower quality during non-working hours, but may reflect differences in case mix or other factors This research aimed to compare neonatal mortality in English hospitals from 2005 to 2014 by time of day and day of the week.&#x0D; ApproachWe analysed data from a retrospective cohort of 6,054,536 singleton births in England 2005—2014, created by linking ONS birth and death registration and birth notification data with Hospital Episode Statistics.&#x0D; Working hours were defined as 07:00—19:00 on weekdays, and non-working hours were all other times on weekdays and all weekends and public holidays.&#x0D; The primary outcome was all-cause neonatal mortality unattributed to congenital anomaly. We also modelled cause-specific neonatal mortality attributed to asphyxia, anoxia or trauma (AAT). On advice through our public involvement and strategy, analysis was stratified by mode of onset of labour and method of delivery.&#x0D; ResultsAfter adjustment for confounders, the odds of all-cause neonatal mortality outside of working hours were similar to those during working hours for spontaneous births, instrumental births and emergency caesareans. Planned caesareans occurring in non-working hours had a high crude risk compared to planned caesareans in working hours, but were considered to be unreliably recorded and likely to reflect emergency caesarean delivery of babies originally scheduled for planned caesarean birth.&#x0D; Further stratification of emergency caesareans by onset of labour showed higher odds of cause-specific neonatal mortality (AAT) during non-working compared with working hours for emergency caesareans without labour recorded but not for emergency caesareans after spontaneous or induced onset of labour.&#x0D; ConclusionIt may be that the apparent ‘weekend effect’ is caused by deaths among the relatively small number of babies who were born by caesarean section apparently without labour outside normal working hours. Obstetric staffing should be planned to allow for these relatively unusual emergencies.

프랑스법상 익명출산제도에 대한 재고찰

Birth registration is a basic and essential element to receive legal protection and public services such as education, health care, and social security as a member of society. Birth notification system should be introduced that allows the birth of a child to be notified at the facility (ex: hospital) where the child was born, regardless of nationality. However, the birth notification system requires consideration for parents who are reluctant to reveal their identity as the fact of birth is notified or reported regardless of the parents’ will. In short, in order to protect a child's basic rights (right to life, etc.) that can be exercised by exposure of identity, anonymous childbirth under French law should be introduced along with the birth notification system. In French, The consecration of the ‘Mater semper certa rule’ does not put an end under the possibility for the mother to request at the time of giving birth that “the secret of her admission and of her identity be maintained” (art. 326). Hence, her name will not be indicated on the birth certificate, and in consequence, filiation will not be established in relations to her. The impossibility of establishing filiation later on in case the secret would be revealed, is guaranteed since the law of January 8th 1993 by a flat refusal against all actions relating to research of natural maternity(art. 325, art. 341-1 anc.). Meanwhile, to ensure better balance of the interests of those involved, the legislator has intervened through the law of January 22nd 2002. Article L.222-6 of the Social Action and Family Code ends to ensure that a woman who gives birth under X is fully aware of the importance and the judicial consequences of her decision. She is reminded “the importance for each person to know her origins and her history.” In consequence, she is invited to leave “if she agrees to it, information about her health and that of the father, the origins of the child and the circumstances of the birth as well as, in a sealed envelope, her identity.” She is informed that at any time she can leave her identity, in a sealed envelope or complete the information she has provided at the time of birth. The mother is informed as well of the possibility she has at any time to lift the secrecy of her identity. It is hoped that this paper will be helpful in introducing an anonymous birth system in the future.