Office of Vital Records and Statistics

These records support the agency's function to document, preserve, and certify the facts of births and deaths for residents of the state (Utah Code 26-2-3 (2013)). These certificates report fetal deaths, or stillbirths, and are used to prepare an annual compilation, analysis, and publication of statistics (Utah Code 26-2-14 (2013)). Records include information about the pregnancy, the delivery, the child, and the disposition of the body.

These are certificates reporting fetal deaths or stillbirths in the state as required by Utah Code 26-2-14. Includes the child's name, date and time of delivery, sex, county of delivery, and cause of death; the name of the hospital or other location of delivery; the parents' name, age, birth place, race, education, and permanent address; the pregnancy history; the disposition of the body; the name and address of the cemetery or crematory; and the signatures of the certifying officials. Fetal deaths are first defined as part of the "Utah Vital Statistics Act" of 1981 to mean a birth 20 weeks of gestation or more. Prior to that date there was direction to record stillbirths, possibly separately from certificates of "death or fetal death" (c.f. Laws of Utah 1953, chapter 42). Within this series, 1964 and 1965 are recorded on "Certificate of Stillbirth" forms and 1966 onward are on "Certificate of Fetal Death" forms. It is possible that amendments to death certificates in 1965 led to a change in practice or forms to reflect continuing requirements to file a death certificate for "every death or fetal death that occurs within the state" (Laws of Utah 1965, chapter 47). In 2013, the definition was amended to be 16 weeks or more.