Fetal death certificates

(a) As used in this section, “fetal death” means the death of a fetus prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from the uterus, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy, in which there is no evidence of life after such expulsion or extraction, including, but not limited to, beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles. “Fetal death” does not include an induced termination of a pregnancy. (b) For each fetal death occurring after a period of gestation of not less than twenty weeks, a fetal death certificate shall be filed with the registrar of vital statistics in the manner required by sections 7-48 and 7-51 with respect to the filing, content and issuance of birth certificates. A fetal death certificate shall be signed by a physician or, when no physician was in attendance, by the nurse-midwife in attendance at the birth, the Chief Medical Examiner, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, an associate medical examiner or an authorized assistant medical examiner. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a father or mother when a birth occurs outside an institution and a physician or midwife is not in attendance at such birth, as described in subsection (c) of section 7-48. (c) Such certificate shall include, on a confidential portion of the certificate, any additional information required by the department, provided the information obtained under this section shall be used only for medical and health purposes.