How do I bury a miscarried baby under 24 weeks of age? Cremation Application and Location Selection
- sky5118
- Mar 25
- 4 min read
Losing an unborn baby is a grief that no parent can bear, but providing a resting place for a miscarried baby is a loving and caring choice at such a time. This guide provides detailed information for parents facing this challenge, to help you make the best decisions during this difficult process.
Understanding the importance of burying an aborted fetus
For many families, providing a place of rest and mourning for a baby who was not born is an important form of emotional comfort. Not only does it help parents find some comfort in the grieving process, but it is also a way for the community to honor and recognize the little one. Such a ceremony can help the family come to terms with reality and ease the pain of loss.
How to Prepare a Funeral for a Miscarried Baby Under 24 Weeks?
Under section 18 of the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance (Cap. 174), a Certificate of Non-Live Birth of a Baby (Form 13) issued by a medical practitioner is required for the lawful burial of a “non-living baby”. However, there is no specific legal requirement under the Ordinance for fetuses under 24 weeks of age.
It is worth noting that despite the absence of a “Certificate of Non-Live Birth”, the medical staff of the HA will arrange for the retrieval of the remains of the aborted fetus according to the wishes of the parents as long as the relevant legal and public health conditions are complied with. If the aborted fetus is not claimed, the HA will treat it as “medical waste” and it may even be sent to the landfill.
However, many parents are unaware of their right to retrieve a stillborn baby. Even if they are aware, they may not know that they can have the remains of the fetus buried in a designated crematorium or cemetery in Hong Kong. For example, they may choose to have their aborted fetuses under 24 weeks cremated at the Wing Oi Tong of Kwai Chung Crematorium, or they may choose to be buried at the Wing Oi Yuen of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Environment of The Home of Forever Love in Kwai Chung
Eligibility for cremation of aborted fetuses less than 24 weeks old
To apply for cremation service for an aborted fetus less than 24 weeks old, the following criteria must be met:
The father and/or mother of the aborted fetus must be Hong Kong residents.
Be in possession of a “Miscarriage Document” or other supporting documents issued by a local medical practitioner or hospital or a registered medical institution.
How to Submit a Request for Cremation of Miscarried Remains?
Parents who need to apply for the cremation of a miscarriage can follow these steps:
Visit the Office: At least three working days before the cremation date, personally visit the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) office located at the Hung Hom or Happy Valley cemeteries and crematoria to submit your application.
Submit Required Documents: Provide a completed application form (FEHB326), relevant miscarriage documents, and copies of the parents' identity cards.
This preparation helps ensure that the cremation of the miscarried remains can proceed smoothly and provides parents with a process for mourning.
Notes on cremation of aborted fetus
When cremating an aborted fetus, families should be aware of the following:
Ashes may not be generated from the miscarriage.
The aborted fetus must be picked up and cremated on the same day, and the family should contact the hospital to arrange for pick-up of the fetal remains after approval has been given.
The container for the aborted foetus should be prepared by yourself and must meet the prescribed size and material requirements. The length, width and height of the container must not exceed 300mm, 240mm and 240mm respectively.
Parents are required to arrive at the Kwai Chung Aborted Fetus Cremation Facility 15 minutes before the scheduled cremation session for registration.
The cremation session for each application will last for about two hours, including a 30-minute memorial service and an hour of cremation.
If there are any ashes left after the cremation of the aborted fetus, parents may choose to scatter the ashes in the dedicated garden of the facility, keep the ashes on their own, or hand them over to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for disposal in an appropriate manner.
How to apply for placement of aborted foetus in FEHD's “
"The Garden of Forever Love"?
In order to provide a long-term resting place for the aborted fetus, parents can apply for the placement service. Applicants are required to bring along the relevant supporting documents and, after completing the formalities and obtaining FEHD's approval, the remains of the fetus can be buried at the designated location.
The FEHD has a choice of burial facilities：
The Garden of Forever Love at Wo Hop Shek (no application for this facility is currently full)
The Garden of Forever Love at Cape Collinson
How do parents who have lost a baby arrange for the placement of the aborted baby？
After the application is approved, the parents need to make their own arrangements with the organization concerned to collect the aborted foetus and have it buried on a specified date. During this process, parents can choose between private and public cemeteries, depending on their needs and emotional preferences.
Private Cemetery Options
Apart from public facilities, there are also a number of private cemeteries in Hong Kong that provide abortion placement services, for example, the Tsuen Wan Chinese Permanent Cemetery “Ning Shing Yuen”:
Tsuen Wan Chinese Permanent Cemetery “Ning Shing Yuen"
Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery “Ning Sin Yuen
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery “Angel's Garden” in Chai Wan
Hong Kong Buddhist Cemetery “Little Pure Land
Tao Fung Shan Christian Cemetery “Tao Fung Shan Garden of Angels
Happy Valley Muslim Cemetery “Flowers of Paradise
The services provided by these private cemeteries are equally dedicated to providing a warm and reassuring burial place for families who have lost a baby.
Advice to Parents
Arranging a formal ceremony to say goodbye to a miscarried baby can help ease the grief in the face of loss. This is not only a way of honoring the life that has been lost, but also an opportunity to face and accept the reality of the situation.
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