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No, placentae can be disposed of as clinical waste in line with the hospital’s usual procedure.
Women may miscarry naturally or pass the pregnancy by medical induction outside of a clinical facility. The woman may choose to dispose of the pregnancy remains herself, and in such circumstances advice on how to manage this appropriately should be available from service providers such as...
There is no legal bar to women taking their pregnancy remains home with them for disposal, although there are certain requirements that need to be met. The women should be advised to think carefully about what she will do with the remains and consider any associated restrictions which might...
Yes.
The guidance sets out that the woman’s medical notes should record whether information was provided and what the woman’s decision was, and that a record should be kept of the date and location of the disposal. This is to ensure an audit trail for the disposed of remains, should the woman make...
Tissue samples from early pregnancy loss may be sent to Histopathology for examination to identify any unusual pathology and aid diagnosis. These can be considered part of the woman’s diagnostic record and do not need to be disposed of in line with this guidance.
Service providers that are involved with the disposal of pregnancy remains should self-assess and monitor their compliance with this guidance through regular audit of relevant policies, procedures and women’s medical records.
Designated Individuals should contribute to the development of policies and procedures on the disposal of pregnancy remains, where they are handled on HTA licensed premises.
The guidance does not apply to the disposal of embryos created in vitro (for fertility treatment or embryo research), which is regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
Both cremation and incineration are processes used to destroy human body parts. Cremation is used as an alternative to burial and is often associated with a ceremony and/ or religious or spiritual ritual.