For the majority of parents the death of their baby is an unexpected tragedy. Understanding what happened, why their baby died and if anything could have been done differently are the most pressing questions they may have. For some parents, making sense of why their baby died can also help with their grief in the weeks, months and years ahead.
This page provides links to information about post-mortems, hospital reviews and other investigations. You can also find out more information about causes of death for babies in the UK.
This page provides links to information about post-mortems, hospital reviews and other investigations. You can also find out more information about causes of death for babies in the UK.
Understanding why your baby died
Our short film aims to help you understand how the review process can help you find out what happened. It shares the perspectives of bereaved parents talking about their own experiences.
Post-mortem
A post-mortem is a medical examination to understand why someone died. A post-mortem on a baby is called a perinatal post-mortem and is undertaken by a specialist doctor called a perinatal pathologist.
More about reviews into your care
When a baby dies, hospitals carry out a review of the care the mother and baby received to understand if more could have been done to save the baby. Some deaths are also investigated by bodies independent of the NHS.
Complaints and feedback
You may have questions about your care that were not answered by a review or investigation, or just want to give feedback about aspects of your care which were good. We have written guidance to help families with this.