10. When is a post-mortem obligatory?

If your baby died after birth and the cause of death is not clear, the doctor looking after your baby must, by law, refer the case to a coroner (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or to a procurator fiscal (in Scotland). The coroner can order a post-mortem without parental consent, though this does not happen in all cases. In Northern Ireland, the coroner may also order a post-mortem when a baby has died before birth and the cause of death is uncertain.