Public Service
The National Perinatal Pathology Service provides non-coronial post-mortems, including internal, external and placenta examination in the following situations:
The National Perinatal Pathology Service is whānau-centred. You have the right to be asked if you would like a post-mortem examination, and a non-coronial post-mortem examination cannot happen without your consent.
A non-coronial perinatal post-mortem examination can be an important step in understanding why your baby or babies have died. It can be a daunting and sometimes confronting procedure to consider.
Understanding the post-mortem examination, the different types of examinations available, and the benefits may help to overcome any concerns you have and help you decide if a post-mortem is likely to be helpful in understanding the cause of the death and if it is right for your whānau.
A New Zealand study reported on interviews with 169 mothers who gave birth to a stillborn baby after 28 weeks of pregnancy. Ten percent (7 of 70) mothers who declined a post-mortem said they would not make this decision again. No mother (0 of 99) who agreed to a post-mortem regretted her decision.
Cronin R, Li M, Wise M, et al. 2018. Late stillbirth post mortem examination in New Zealand: maternal decision-making. Aust NZ J Obstet Gyn 58(6): 667–73.
The National Perinatal Pathology Service does not coordinate coronial post-mortems, this is the responsibility of Coronial Services, which is part of the Ministry of Justice. You can find out more information about the coronial service and how to contact the service on the website Coronial Services of New Zealand.
HoursMon - Fri: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Perinatal pathology services are primarily provided during normal business hours, Monday to Friday.
The information on this page has been provided by healthpoint.co.nz, helping people better understand and use New Zealand health services.
